Wildflowers
by WheezingPhantom
Summary: Kagome is forced to accept that she and Inuyasha will never be together. With Kikyo now part of the group she is having a hard time figuring out where she fits and what she wants, maybe a certain wolf demon can help? The battle with Naraku is approaching fast and everyone will have to learn to trust and work together to defeat him. M for violence, language, and some lemon. KagxKoga
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi**

A/N: _I own only the idea of this fanfiction and the plot within nothing else. I make no profit off of this story and merely do it for fun._

 _Also this is my first attempt at ever writing a fanfiction and I welcome any constructive criticism that anyone might have to offer. I am sort of just going with it so please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions._

* * *

Her thumb was beginning to hurt where she worried at it, fidgeting with her eyes down cast. She knew he was waiting for her to say something, probably anything. The silence was terrible but she kept her head bowed her bangs casting a shadow across her eyes.

 _"Why are you so surprised you saw this coming from the very beginning?_ "

She glared at her inner voice speaking the reason she so often ignored. She couldn't any longer though with reality now rushing in on her life and changing everything. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she let out a shaky breath. "I just want you to be happy Inuyasha. That is all I have ever wanted…" Her voice was gentle but full of sadness.

 _"Kagome I need to talk to you… do you mind walking with me for a while?"_ Even then she could already sense that something serious was about to happen before Inuyasha had even said anything. Rarely was Inuyasha so polite or serious. It was a dead giveaway that this was different. They had walked for a long while before he reached down and took her hand and began to speak. The whole time her heart racing knowing her life was about to be turned upside down. He had been so gentle and tender telling her everything. It was a side she very rarely ever saw from him.

 _"Kagome… I have to talk to you. All I ask is that you let me speak my piece before you say or do anything OK?"_ He had gone on to tell her how Kikyo had sought him out. How she confessed her love and desire to be with him. History made him leery of trusting her though. Only when Kikyo went so far as to give him the pieces of jewel fragments she had collected and even saying she would take her own life if that is what he desired from her as she was truly the undead did Inuyasha finally accept what she had to say as truth. He was honest with Kagome about everything. He talked to her about his feelings, his fears, and his desire to be with Kikyo and even his confusion and concern for how he felt for Kagome.

 _"Kagome I care about you so much. I am mixed up… I love Kikyo but... my feelings for you it just... I can't get it straight. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Every time I ran off to Kikyo and the times you followed. I knew I hurt you I could see it in your eyes and it hurt me as well because that wasn't ever my intention. But I love Kikyo I can't stop and I don't want to lie or hide things from you anymore. I don't want to hurt you anymore Kagome…"_ She had listened to it all not saying a word. Finally Inuyasha fell silent and they stopped walking somewhere in the middle of the forest. It seemed like hours in silence went by as she tried to get a grasp on all that was happening and what it meant.

"Kagome I am so sor…"

"No." Kagome stopped him before he could finish. Finally she looked up her expression showing a strong determination tinted with her own sadness. She tried to smile though it looked unnatural and forced. "Please don't apologize… It's not what I want. Things between you and I…" She paused swallowing the lump that was stuck in her throat with the continued attempt to not cry. "What we've had… was complicated. I love you; I always will you are one of my best friends. But we both have known this whole time who your heart has always belonged to. Both of us were thrown into this life of hunting jewel shards. With me in a time that is not my own and you unable to be with the women you love." Her voice cracked with the end of her sentence and she had to swallow hard again. Silently demanding that she continued to speak the truth the two of them have been dancing around for nearly five years.

"This life here with fighting countless foes, hunting the shards, and Naraku. The strength we had to rely on in one another despite whatever else we wanted made a strong bond between us. It made something beautiful, but also confusing, and not what either of us thought it was or wanted." She was only half lying since a part of her had always hoped things would change and that she and Inuyasha would find a true and pure love with each other. She now knew that would never happen and it was time to get everything out in the open between them. "You now have an opportunity to be with Kikyo though. Now that she has let go of her vengeance, and rage. And she just wants to take her second shot at life to be with you like she always wanted before that life was stolen from you both. I understand. I won't lie. I am sad but I really want you to be happy, I want you to have the opportunity to find love with the woman you want. So please don't apologize for it." She finally stopped talking unable to say anymore. There was really nothing else to be said.

Kagome tried her best to relax when Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a hug. "Thank you…" She heard him whisper. Parts of her heart were shattering knowing what had always been a temporary love had finally run its course. "You should go to her. Bring her back to the village. She should travel with us now. I am not gunna lie it will probably be awkward for a while. It will take the others a while to trust her, especially Sango. With all that has happened you can't blame them. So please try to be understanding of everyone's feelings. It will just take some time for everyone to get used to, Kikyo included."

Truth was she had no idea if it was really a good idea for Kikyo to join the group so soon. She needed time alone though and knew Inuyasha would not argue. Part of her just wanted to get the inevitable over with. She had been ignoring this reality for far too many years and now it was time.

"Will you be alright out here? We aren't far from the village. I could walk back with you before I go get Kikyo." The happiness that he was unable to contain at the idea of going to get Kikyo cut through Kagome and stung but she smiled and shook her head. "No really I am alright. I can walk back on my own. I am going to go home just for a few hours ok? I need to get some fresh clothes and supplies. Plus I would like to check in on my family." Inuyasha nodded and stared down at her for a moment as mixed emotions swirled in his eyes. Happiness, relief, sadness, and evident concern were all there. "Alright if you aren't back by night fall I will go check in on you." He said before he turned and took off into the forest. Kagome stood there and watched until she could no longer see him.

Sighing she reached for the small chunk of jewel that hung on a chain around her neck. Taking it off she took it and the four shards that Kikyo had given to Inuyasha and fused them together. The jewel was nearly half way complete. She knew that there were likely only a few left to find before they would have to face Naraku for the rest. _"Koga has two shards I wonder how many others there are really left to find now."_ She stared at it for a moment thinking about how all that had happened started with her accidently shattering the jewel. Slowly a scowl formed across her face as resentment flared up inside her knowing if it weren't for the jewel none of this would have ever happened. As quickly as it came to her the resentment and anger was gone. If it hadn't been for the jewel she wouldn't have the people she loved so much in her life now. Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, she would have none of them without the jewel. So with only a sheer determination to not stand in the forest all day she began to make her way to the well.

As Kagome walked she began to feel her emotions settle and a strange sense of peace washed over her. While the sadness lingered, and a justified concern for the future and what it had in store for her did still weigh down on her, she was surprised at how calm she felt. It was almost as if she too was relieved.

 _"Finally the thing I have feared for so long happened. I am sad but I guess I am also happy it is over. I can finally try to move on and let go. I guess before it was always just something there in the back of my mind that made it like walking along the edge of a cliff when with Inuyasha. That constant fear of falling can finally end… We can continue to be a part of each other's lives as friends but I can finally accept the reality and truly move on."_

With that final thought she picked up her pace a new determination within her as she made her way through the forest.

* * *

"Finally I'm home." Kagome said to herself as she pulled herself out of the well lugging her bag behind her. She was about ready stand and make her way out of the shrine when something grabbed her bag making her lose her balance and nearly fall back into the well. _"Ahhh…. What?!"_ Her heart raced as she regained her balance and waited to see what was happening but when nothing did she slowly glanced behind her. What she saw caused her to groan loudly. What she had assumed to be just another demon attempting to take her life in pursuit of the jewel shards was a simple stuck out nail that had snagged her bag. "Oh come on really?" She mumbled trying to yank her bag away from the nail. With her frustration growing she gave her bag a hard pull only to fall back and land on her butt with a thud. Her yellow bag now had a large hole spilling her belongings on the ground.

"Just great!" She yelled her emotions resurfacing as she closed her eyes tight trying to not let something so silly upset her so much. After taking a few deep breathes she finally stood and gathered her things before heading to the house. _"Just another thing I will have to do while I am here. I guess I am surprised this stupid bag lasted so long anyways."_ He thought to herself looking down at the dirty faded yellow mess she now carried.

Once to the house Kagome tried to open and close the door as quietly as possible. She really did just want some time to herself before facing her Mother who was sure to sense that something was different. Lucky for her no one seemed to be home though. _"Good I think a nice hot shower is what I need right now."_

* * *

"Ah, that felt great. It feels like it has been forever since I was able to just relax in the shower." Kagome said to herself in a considerably better mood. The shower had given her time to put things into perspective. While her heart still hurt she was able to find comfort in the idea of finally being able to move on. While she didn't suspect any suitors would be in her near future it was nice to know that whatever she and Inuyasha had would no longer stand in the way. She could actually let herself even consider the idea of maybe finding someone. "Oh come on Kagome how are you supposed to maintain a relationship when you time travel be serious. What man would understand?" Suddenly the image of a certain wolf demon flashed in her mind before she could banish it. _"Hmm what was that about? Men are the last thing you need to think about right now."_ With that final thought she made her way to her closet to find clothes.

Fifteen minutes had gone by and it looked as though someone had tried to ransack Kagome's bedroom. "Uh! That is it!" She screamed in defeat falling back onto her bed in frustration. With her time spent traveling so much it left no time for things like shopping for new clothes. She hadn't realized what a sad state her wardrobe really was, having not spent any significant time at home in months now that she was finished with school. But she couldn't find a single suitable thing to wear now. All of her clothes were either not appropriate demon hunting clothes or they no longer fit. Despite almost being 20 she still even sometimes wore her school uniform out of habit. Now she realized she really did need to figure something out. "First it was my bag, and now my clothes. Ah! Let's face it I even need new shoes the ones I have just about have holes in them."

"Kagome is that you dear? Are you alright?" Came the voice of her Mother before her bedroom door opened. "Oh my, Kagome what happened to your room?" Sitting up she took a second to look around before blushing in shame. "Sorry Mom. I am just having a hard time finding anything I can wear and take back with me. A lot of my clothes no longer fit or they aren't really something I need to be wearing while there." She said softly looking around still trying to figure out what she was going to do.

"You know I still have some shopping to do for groceries and things we need. If you could find something to wear just for now we could go get you some new clothes." Her Mother said with an understanding and loving smile beaming on her face. "It would be nice to spend some time together. It has been a while since you and I had any Mother, daughter time." Kagome really did feel bad at the idea of her Mother spending money on her but she didn't really have many options. Time travel and demon slaying weren't exactly well paying jobs. "That sounds great Mom I owe you one."

* * *

Kagome arrived back in the feudal era just as the sun was setting. "Oh good I got back just in time." She said to herself swinging her legs over the side of the well and standing. Shopping had taken up the majority of her visit home only having time to have a nice dinner with everyone after they arrived back at the house. When her Mother realized that Kagome needed literally everything from clothes to shoes and even under garments her motherly instincts took over and caused her to go a little crazy making sure Kagome had absolutely everything. She was even able to help Kagome find a new bag to carry everything in. They had both agreed that something a little more durable than a school backpack was needed. So in the end they had settled on a green military style tactical backpack. It felt a little awkward to carry with its stiff material but she hoped it would last even longer than her yellow backpack had.

Her style as well had even been upgraded. Her school uniform being traded in for a couple pairs of jeans and shorts and a few simple fitted shirts of different colors. Now she wore a pair of denim shorts with a black, t-shirt and black sneakers. _"Why I waited so long to figure out that pants and shorts opposed to skirts would likely be better to run around in I have no idea."_ She thought to herself and started to make her way to the village where she knew the others would be waiting. Her pace slowed though at the realization that she was about to face everyone.

 _"I am sure that by now Inuyasha has returned with Kikyo. I wonder how the others are taking it."_ She knew that Sango who was like her sister was probably angry and suspicious. All the more reason she knew the faster she got back the better. It was still hard. Part of her wished she wouldn't have to face Inuyasha with Kikyo or have to see the looks of sympathy from the others. _"Oh well Kagome time to be a big girl come on lets go we can't stay out here all night. Let's not make Inuyasha come looking for us."_ With that in mind she picked her pace up again and tried to prepare herself for whatever she might find.

The closer she got to the village the more her concern grew though as she could hear crashing and raised voices. "How could you do this to Kagome, Inuyasha!?" She could hear a very angry female voice demand. _"Sango! Oh no."_ Kagome realized Kikyo's arrival had not gone over well and she started to jog hoping there wasn't an all-out war waiting for her.

"This doesn't concern you Sango so just back off!" Came the angry response of the hanyou. _"Damn it Inuyasha I told you to be understanding and patient."_ Now Kagome began to run as she heard another loud crash. When she finally did make her way to her friends the scene before her was a bit nerve wracking. Sango stood with her Hiraikotsu ready for an attack rage clear in her expression, Kikyo stood a few yards away with her bow out and an arrow notched back ready to fire at Sango. Inuyasha was pulling himself up from the ground where he had obviously been thrown into the side of a hut. "Damn it Sango! What was that for?" He yelled in frustration his lips pulled back exposing his canine like teeth.

Kagome had seen enough. "Stop it! All of you what is wrong with you guys? For pete's sake Kikyo put that thing away." She was trying to remain calm but it was taking a great deal of effort not to draw her own weapon on the women who so often fought against them, for daring to threaten the life of her sister. "Kagome!" She heard Sango yell out in relief as she ran over to her and hugged her tightly. "Are you alright?" Sango whispered into her ear. She nodded her head in response and said they had a lot to talk about but that now was not the time. "Are you really ok with this?" Sango asked her stepping back now not bothering to keep her voice down but loud enough so everyone would hear. Kagome sighed glancing around at everyone. "Yes I am. Inuyasha and I had a long talk and as long as Kikyo's intentions are pure this is what is right." She said firmly trying to hide her apprehensiveness over the whole situation.

"But…" Sango began before Kagome interrupted her.

"Look Sango I know this is all a bit confusing but let's just get through the night in peace. I promise I will explain things just not now." She said hoping her friend wouldn't keep pushing the subject. To her luck though Sango nodded her head and seemed to accept Kagome's answer. "Ok let's just go inside and try and get a good night's rest." With that everyone began to make their way into the hut she was just about to step inside when she her someone say her name softly. Turning around she saw Kikyo standing a few feet away. "May I speak with you for a moment before we join the others, please…" Kikyo asked her. Sango glared obviously not trusting the new addition to their group but Kagome gave her a reassuring smile and quickly said it was alright before she made her way over to where Kikyo stood.

"What's up Kikyo?" She said a little too cheerfully in her attempt to mask the fact that she was very uncomfortable. "I wanted to talk to you. I know this will be difficult for you… for everyone but you especially. But I wanted to assure you my intentions with Inuyasha really are pure. I really do love him and just want the chance to live the life with him that I couldn't fifty years ago." The older miko said staring at Kagome openly. "Look Kikyo… I understand what you are saying and appreciate that you recognize this is going to be hard. But you have to give everyone their time and space. We have been tricked by you before more than once. I really do hope that you are speaking the truth just don't expect the others to accept you or your word easily. It is going to take time. If you can give them that and prove to them you are being honest I have no doubt they will welcome you into their lives." Kagome knew she was being a little short but she just didn't have it in her to fake cheerfulness. She was just being honest and she had a feeling Kikyo knew that when the other nodded and offered a small smile before heading into the hut.

 _"Well… this is going to be… interesting."_ Kagome thought to herself taking in a deep breathe of the night air steeling her nerves before she made her way into the hut.

* * *

The night had been rough. Seeing Kikyo wrapped in Inuyasha's embrace as they fell asleep had hurt. It had taken her forever to finally drift off to sleep and when she woke she still felt exhausted. But they had to head out. They had heard rumors of a Boar demon that might possess a jewel shard out towards the East. It wasn't often anymore that they heard such tales now that most of the shards had been collected. They couldn't risk not investigating. So after everyone dressed and had a quick breakfast they set out. She had to admit it was a bit odd seeing Kikyo being carried piggy back style by Inuyasha like she herself so often had been. Just further realization that things were changing. Though truth be told it was a much smoother ride on Kirara's back.

"Do you sense a jewel shard yet Kagome?" The young fox kit asked who was currently being held in her arms. "No, nothing yet Shippo. I hope we do find something though. It has been weeks since we last found anything." She said happy for the distraction from her own thoughts. "I agree Kagome. While on one hand it is a good sign knowing we have collected most of the shards it also means at some point we will have to try even harder in finding and destroying Naraku." Miroko said over his shoulder from where he sat in front of her. Kagome nodded her head as her lips pulled into a small contemplative line. _"I know soon that is going to be our only priority. Not that we haven't been trying to find Naraku but it was easier when every few days we were simply hunting down weaker demons for random shards. Now we will have to face the one who has hurt almost every single one of us and recover the other half of the jewel."_

Suddenly Kagome was ripped from her thoughts when a familiar pulse pulled at her chest. "Guys stop I sense something!" She called out causing the group to come to a halt. "Where is it coming from Kagome?" Inuyasha called up to where they were hovering in the air on Kirara. She frowned in confusion though suddenly realizing something is was off. "Well? Where is it? What about you Kikyo do you know which direction it is coming from?" Inuyasha asked ever impatient. Kikyo too had a look of concentration and confusion on her face though. _"There is more than one and they are coming at us fast from different directions."_

"Guys there is more than one and they are coming this way fast from both sides." At that everyone was thrown off and began to look around trying to figure out what to do.

"Look out!" She suddenly heard Inuyasha call out but it was too late. Through the trees came crashing the huge Boar demon they had been looking for and he came right at them slamming into Kirara sending everyone flying towards the ground.

"The jewel, the jewel! I can sense it. I must have it!" The Boar called out heading straight at Kagome just as she was pulling herself up from where she had crashed into the dirt.

"Kagome!" She could hear her friends yell as no one able to react fast enough before the Boar reached her. "Give it to me! Give me the jewel shard!" He yelled as he grabbed her by the arm pulling her up to his face, the ground once again far below her. She tried to ignore the pain that shot through her from being dangled by one arm and even in the situation she was she still couldn't help but notice how awful the demon's breathe was as he huffed in her face. "The jewel is mi…. Ahhhhh!" Mid-sentence the demon was suddenly hit in the head forcing him to drop Kagome and cry out in pain. "Get away from Kagome you disgusting swine." She heard a familiar deep male voice demand and before she hit the ground she was caught by strong arms. "Koga!" She said in happy surprise smiling brightly. _"No wonder I sensed more than one shard."_

"Hey Kagome did ya miss me?" The wolf demon asked ever the flirt and playful despite the fact that there was a boar demon just a few feet away. Before she could answer him though Koga put her down and forced her to stand behind him. By then the rest of her friends had made their way over weapons out, ready to strike the Boar down. "You fools! I will destroy all of you." She heard the now even angrier boar demon cry out as he turned and began to make is way towards them.

* * *

A/N: Well that is it for now I hope it wasn't too bad.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: _I am glad to see that some of you guys are enjoying the story so far. I will admit I am having fun writing it. Just a small warning this chapter will have some slight Kikyo and Inuyasha bashing for those their fans out there. I am still just winging it at this point really not sure where I will take it. I don't think I plan for them to really be 'bad' characters but I can't help a little tension/drama. Again any constructive criticism is encouraged and welcome._

* * *

 _Recap of where we left off:_

 _"Hey Kagome did ya miss me?" The wolf demon asked ever the flirt and playful despite the fact that there was a boar demon just a few feet away. Before she could answer him though Koga put her down and forced her to stand behind him. By then the rest of her friends had made their way over weapons out, ready to strike the Boar down. "You fools! I will destroy all of you." She heard the now even angrier boar demon cry out as he turned and began to make is way towards them._

* * *

"Yeah right you ugly stinkin pig!" Kagome heard Inuyasha yell before he was charging straight towards the Boar Demon, Tessaiga drawn. Too late did she realize none of them were paying close enough attention though because as soon as Inuyasha jumped to bring his sword down on the demons head did the Boar draw a weapon of his own that looked like a giant hammer from his back and swung quickly hitting Inuyasha square in the chest. The blow sent the hanyou flying back through the air directly at Koga and Kagome. Koga quick on his feet though span around and grabbed Kagome jumping to the side just in time so they weren't knocked over by Inuyasha. Thankfully the blow seemed to affect Inuyasha very little, no sooner than he crashed into the dirt was he back up looking all too thrilled with the fight. He really did get too much excitement out of fighting.

"That was a mistake…" She heard Inuyasha say before he was charging again. Only now it wasn't just Inuyasha but Koga as well. The Boar Demon didn't stand a chance as the two together were determined to make quick work of bringing him down.

 **10 minutes later…**

With the combined efforts of Sango, Koga, and Inuyasha the rest of the group pretty much sat back and watched the battle. In the end the final blow being delivered by Inuyasha sending chunks of demon flesh everywhere which Kagome was now picking through to get the jewel shard.

"Disgusting…" She whispered to herself while trying her best not to get too much blood on her hands. _"You know Kikyo should have to dig the next shard out of some shredded demon since I am not the only one who can sense them now. I refuse to be the only one stuck with the gross job. Shesh!"_ She thought to herself before Koga walked up behind her.

"You could say that again." Koga said before plugging his nose. "Damn Boar stinks. Between him and the mutt my senses are a bit overwhelmed." An irritated 'Hey!' followed Koga's teasing from somewhere behind her and Kagome had to fight to keep the amused smile that threatened to appear at bay. "Be nice Koga." She said without looking at the wolf demon as she stood shard in hand.

"By the way Dog Breath what's wrong with you? I had to avoid two separate hits that were supposedly meant for the Boar Demon. You need to stop waving that sword of yours around like it's a toy!" Koga yelled at the other the hint of humor still evident in his voice. Everyone else in the group would know to just laugh at Koga poking fun at Inuyasha but the hot headed hanyou instantly gritted his teeth ready to pick a fight blood still hot from the battle with the Boar. All the anger left him though as a look of confusion replaced it. "Kikyo?" He said barely loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Kagome finally looking up instantly concerned that maybe the other woman was hurt. Instead the other miko stood bow raised and an arrow notched pointed directly at Koga. _"What the hell?!"_ She thought unable to do much else like the rest in the group confused.

"Is there a reason you have your weapon aimed at me?" Koga said much more serious now obviously sensing this was no longer the time for jokes. She watched as he tensed clearly ready to take action if Kikyo made even the slightest wrong move.

"Kikyo what are you doing?" Kagome asked softly taking a protective step towards Koga without realizing she was doing it.

"We require the two shards you have in your legs Demon." Kikyo said her tone cold and serious. "Give them to us now and this can end without bloodshed."

 _"Is she out of her freakin mind?"_ Kagome's inner voice screamed. "What?! Kikyo this is Koga our friend. He has helped us dozens of times in the past…" Kagome started to rant again moving closer to Koga suddenly feeling a bit of panic knowing exactly what one of Kikyo's purifying arrows could do to Koga having fired many at demons herself.

"Kagome don't you understand how important it is that we gather all of the shards as quickly as we can? We can't afford to just let two go because you consider this demon a friend. What if they were to fall into the hands of Naraku?" Kikyo demanded with a slight condescending tone that caused Kagome's blood to boil.

 _"Who does she think she is?"_ Kagome glared at the other woman trying to not let her temper and past feelings get in the way of her better judgment. She was having a hard time not hating Kikyo which for Inuyasha's sake she didn't want. By now she was standing right next to Koga all but ready to jump in front of him if need be. "I am warning you now Kikyo to lower your bow. Koga promised me he would give me the shards when the time came and I trust him." She said taking the final side step putting her half way in front of said demon. Koga seemed to have other plans though as he reached around the front of Kagome again pushing her behind him using his body to shield Kagome from what he deemed dangerous. She tried her best not to role her eyes and glare at the back of his head.

Kikyo didn't move or speak though she looked to be considering the situation. Kagome watched as the others eyes darted to the side likely seeing the rest of the group had now moved closer to Koga and herself each in a defense stance ready to take action. All save for Inuyasha who stood frozen looking torn on what to do. After what seemed like several minutes Kikyo slowly lowered her bow though she didn't look happy about it as her mouth was set in a thin line. "Fine I will let him keep them for now. Just know you are making a mistake Kagome letting your personal feelings for this demon get in the way of making the choice for the greater good." With that Kikyo turned and began to walk into the forest not waiting to see if the others would follow.

Kagome could see where the other was coming from but she didn't agree with Kikyo's actions. There wasn't a single part of her that doubted Koga and she knew if Naraku could so easily get the shards from Koga's legs then he would have by now. _"Travelling with her is going to be even harder than what I originally thought. She is so self-entitled!"_ She looked over to see Inuyasha finally standing a bit straighter and looking at her with a slight sad expression on his face. Her attention to him was suddenly broken as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking next to her she had to role her eyes seeing Koga grinning like an idiot. "Aww, you do care about me." He said back to his usual self making Kagome laugh. "Of course I do you idiot. You are our friend."

"I am going to go with Kikyo we can rest here for a while." Inuyasha said interrupting their playful discussion bringing her attention back to him. She was surprised to see an angry irritated expression on his face now and couldn't help but notice the way he looked from Koga to the hand on her shoulder before he walked away. _"What was that about? He can't seriously be jealous can he?"_ Kagome thought to herself a bit confused but not letting herself dwell on it. Suddenly she felt the hand on her shoulder move to her back as Koga began to lead her a little ways away from the group.

* * *

 **Koga P.O.V.**

They walked for just a minute before Koga took a seat on the grass and leaned back against a tree. He patted the spot next to him hoping Kagome would take it. When she did he smiled though it slowly faded to a more serious concerned expression. "Kagome I don't like that woman travelling with you. It's not just that she threatened to kill me. I don't trust her and after everything she has done I am not sure how you can either?" Koga said low enough just for her to hear as he gazed at her concern etched into his features. "What is she doing here anyways?" He asked though he already knew the answer. He could smell that the clay pot and the mutt and rut not long ago. He just wanted to give Kagome the opportunity to tell him whatever she felt comfortable with. He had been surprised at the realization that was for sure. While he had always thought Kagome was way too good for the half breed he had always assumed they would one day end up together despite his own desire for her.

Yes Koga knew he often made light jokes of his affection for Kagome. Often calling her 'his woman' and confessing his love in a joking manner to get a rise out of Inuyasha. He had honestly had always kept his distance respecting that Kagome was in love with the hanyou though. Anyone could have sensed it, it didn't take a genius to see the way she looked at the hanyou. He wasn't a complete jerk after all trying to go after a taken woman, but now here they all were and Inuyasha choose the clay pot over Kagome and he couldn't understand it.

Kagome was beautiful, loyal, alive, strong, and had one of the bravest, kindest souls he had ever encountered. _"How could Inuyasha pass up someone so wonderful?"_ He thought to himself before the sound of Kagome's voice broke his train of thought.

"I appreciate your concern Koga but Inuyasha… and Kikyo are in love and together now. So she is traveling with us." Kagome said obviously still feeling a bit awkward about the whole thing. "I can't really say I trust her either but I can't try and stop it. Inuyasha loves her and if I try and force Kikyo away because of everything that happened before it will tear this group apart and the hunt for the shards and our goal of destroying Naraku will become that much more impossible." Koga nodded his head in understanding. It did make sense. While Inuyasha was not his favorite person on the planet he had to admit he did a good job of protecting the group. If for whatever reason the hanyou decided to abandon Kagome and the others it would not be good. He recognized Kagome as an extremely powerful priestess but even she shouldn't travel alone. _"Hell even I travel with at least a few pack members when away. Ginta and Hakkaku are only a few minutes run away after all."_

"That makes sense. Just…. what if she does something though? That mutt couldn't even figure out what to do when she was threatening me. What is he going to do if one day you are the one she is pointing her arrow at?" The question seemed to only make Kagome even more depressed as her shoulders slumped and she looked at the ground unable to answer. Koga instantly felt bad for asking but he knew it was something that needed to be considered given all the other times Kikyo had tricked them.

"I don't know Koga… All I know is I can't make her leave." Kagome told him before pushing her palms into her eyes and rubbing them clearly more exhausted than anyone realized. Now that they were no longer being attacked Koga took a second to take a good look at Kagome. He instantly noticed the dark circles under her eyes and how she slumped over as if even the weight of her back pack was too much. "Well the mutt said you guys were going to rest here for a while. Why not drop the bag and just relax with me." He said not waiting for her to answer as he reached back with one hand grabbing her back pack and pulling it back so she could slip her arms out from the straps. He easily lifted the pack and set it next to him before he reached around Kagome and pulled her close. He noticed the way she tensed at his touch and waited to see if she would move or protest. It was a bold move after all, but she didn't fight it and he couldn't help but smile as he leaned back into the tree again getting comfortable pulling Kagome with him as she too relaxed.

It didn't take long before he noticed Kagome's breathing even out signaling she had fallen asleep. As much as he wanted to feel happy at the prospects of now being able to truly pursue Kagome. Now that the hanyou had made his choice, he just couldn't feel happy about it. He felt sad for Kagome and the hardships she was having to endure. Not only was her life full of constant stress as it was but now he imagined she likely felt more alone than ever. Nothing stung quite like unrequited love. Even more troubling was the idea that Kikyo was being dishonest. _"If she hurts Kagome I will tear that clay pots head off with my bare hands."_ He thought to himself not realizing he tightened his hold on Kagome protectively. He was pulled out of his thoughts though when suddenly there was weight to his leg. Looking down he realized he had been so deep in thought he hadn't sensed the young fox kit approaching and he was now balanced on his knee staring at Koga.

Shippo was staring at Koga as if sizing him up before he decided on something, what it was Koga had no idea. "Kagome hasn't slept this good since the night before last. She was up the majority of the night just staring at the ceiling or tossing and turning. Kept me up most of the night too I was so worried about her." The kit said to him though Koga wasn't sure why. Without asking or warning the young fox moved and wiggled himself into Kagome's embrace. Koga watched how even in her sleep she instinctively wrapped her arms around Shippo pulling him close curling her body protectively around him and she snuggled deeper into Koga's side. _"Well alright then…"_ He thought to himself slightly amused and ever impressed with the women who held his affection and her ability to love Shippo as if he were her own.

Their position laying with each other was a bit awkward as Shippo was no long quite as small as he used to be and he was practically being smashed between Kagome and himself. Carefully Koga removed his armor so he was just wearing his furs before he pulled Kagome and the kit onto his lap. Neither Kagome nor Shippo stirred at all both passed out. Kagome's frame was so small she fit perfectly against him her cheek resting on his chest and Koga was able to rest his chin on the top of her head. Wrapping his arms around them both adjust his position until he too was comfortable Koga let his eyes drift closed content. _"Perfect…"_ He thought to himself as he too fell asleep.

* * *

Their moment of peace though didn't last long. Koga wasn't sure how long they had slept but he knew it could only have been maybe an hour. The sky had now turned various shades of orange and purple signaling that in just a couple of hour's night would fall. He knew before he even looked that Inuyasha was near and watching them. Sensing that someone was looking at him had been what woke him not to mention the smell.

"Kagome what the hell are you doing?" The hanyou's loud yell caused Kagome to flinch in his arms as she cracked a single eye open obviously upset at having been woken up. Slowly she stretched and moved off of his lap to sit next to him stretching. Shippo as well was rubbing his eyes clearly still tired.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kago heard Kagome ask obviously having missed the angry irritated tone in Inuyasha voice that was directed at them.

"What's wrong? You were in his lap Kagome don't you have any self-respect? I can't believe you would cuddle up with that wolf. It is disgusting." Inuyasha snapped crossing his arms glaring daggers at them both.

Kagome seemed to instantly become wide awake at his response as she immediately stood with her hands clenched in tight fist her aura spiking obviously angry. _"You are in for it now dog breath."_ Koga thought to himself as he stood next to Kagome putting his armor back on.

"How dare you Inuyasha. After… I have been nothing but understanding… just… how can you stand there and act like you have the right. You are with Kikyo remember? Where do you get the nerve to tell me what I should and should not do?" She demanded and both Shippo and Koga had to take a step back as her Riki pulsed causing Koga's skin to tingle.

Inuyasha's demeanor instantly changed as well as he realized the situation he just got himself in. "Kagome I didn't mean…"

"No! Inuyasha just stop. You are done speaking to me like you own me, like you have any say in the things I do. I won't stand for it anymore. What I do with Koga is absolutely none of your business." Even Koga was surprised with the force in her voice that left no room for argument.

He could tell thought that Inuyasha was going to let his pride get the best of him though as a string of emotions went across his face. First there was surprise, then sadness, and then irritation.

"I am not telling you what to do damn it. I am just saying you need to stop being an idiot who makes dumb decisions, like willing sleeping in the arms of this pervert." Now it was Koga's turn to get angry, though he kept his mouth shut despite being insulted.

"Again it isn't your business Inuyasha but Koga was nothing but a gentleman. So drop it." Kagome said turning to grab her pack.

"How can you not see he will just use you. You're going to just throw yourself at someone who is going to just up and leave you?" Inuyasha said a little too loudly drawing the attention of the rest of the group who was now walking towards them. Kagome at this point was bright red with embarrassment and anger. This time Koga was the one who responded though.

"Mutt face I'm not going anywhere. I don't really think I trust you to look after Kagome on your own anymore so you all are just gunna be stuck with me." The words were out of his mouth before even he himself really had time to think about it. It was a spur of the moment decision but after only a few seconds of consideration he saw no reason not to. _"I really don't trust Kikyo and this way I will be able to be there if something happens. I can let Ginta and Hakkaku know they can look after the pack while I travel and when we are in the East I can check in on everyone. They will understand…"_ And with that he made up his mind to travel with Kagome at least until after they defeated Naraku.

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

 _"Wait did Koga just say he was staying?"_ Kagome questioned her own hearing. Everyone seemed to be a bit unsure of what just happened.

"What!? You can't travel with us!" Inuyasha practically spat out.

"Oh really?" Koga responded all but daring Inuyasha to try and stop him.

 _"Would it be a good idea for Koga to travel with us? Or is it just asking for a disaster between him an Inuyasha?"_ The more Inuyasha argued though the more she realized a part of her didn't want Koga to leave. Looking around to the rest of the group who stood silently watching the three of them she considered how having Koga with the group could benefit them. He was a good fighter, and was someone who could be trusted. It would also allow the group to occasionally split up if need be so they wouldn't have to rely on Inuyasha for pure brute strength all the time. Finally Kagome looked over to Kikyo. A selfish part of her also wanted Koga around because it would be a pleasant distraction from Inuyasha and Kikyo. Did that make her a bad person like she was using Koga? That wasn't how it felt to Kagome. She genuinely enjoyed the others company, he was a good friend and also easy to talk to. Her mind was made up.

"Inuyasha, this isn't your decision to make. It is everyone's. I think it would be great for Koga to travel with us. At this point with all the shards nearly found we could use all the help we can get." The rest of the group Kikyo included nodded their heads in agreement. Sango for a split second smiled knowingly before it disappeared. The look made Kagome raise an eyebrow and she told herself she would have to remember to ask her about it later.

"Inuyasha, Kagome is right. The more help we have the better. It will also allow us to be able to keep an eye on the shards Koga processes and he will be able to keep them for the time being." Kikyo said her voice void of much emotion. Even Kagome would have to admit that she was a bit surprised.

"Well majority rules Inuyasha, Koga stays." She said turning to Koga who was grinning at her again this time like an even bigger idiot. Trying to ignore him and fight back her own smile Kagome began to walk away. "Well come on everyone no use standing around we should get as far as we can while it is still light out before we make camp for the night." She called out over her shoulder. Where they were headed she wasn't that sure since they had no leads on either a shard or Naraku. All she knew is that she was done standing there arguing with Inuyasha over something that wasn't his business. She was trying to keep her mind distracted knowing if she continued to think about it she would only become more upset.

Without having to look she could sense Koga walk up to match her pace to walk beside her. _"What are we all getting ourselves into?"_

* * *

A/N: _Well that is it for this chapter guys. I know not much happened but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. I will try to get the next chapter up soon though I can't say when._

 _Also it is kinda late and I wanted to get the posted before I went to bed. Despite having read over it a handful of times there might be some errors. I apologize now for them._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

A/N: _I own only the idea of this fanfiction and the plot within nothing else. I make no profit off of this story and merely do it for fun._

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

It had been nearly a week since Koga joined the group and it had been nothing but stressful. The first few days were not that bad as Inuyasha tried to pick fights with the Wolf Demon but Koga kept his calm and ignored the other. With Inuyasha continued failed attempts to get a rise out of Koga he finally gave up instead turning his anger towards Kagome. That is what finally caused Koga to tick. Kagome didn't know why but for whatever reason when Inuyasha would start in on her, Koga was there to immediately defend her or simply argue. It was like he couldn't help himself. At first she had been flattered but as the days went on she realized Inuyasha had picked up on Koga's sore spot which was her. He now used to it to his advantage. It felt like every hour they were yelling at each other if not actually fist fighting. It was a good thing they were both demons and healed quickly or they would be nothing but bloody pulps by now.

Their continued aggression soon spread to the rest of the group and now everyone was short tempered. Whenever Inuyasha would start in on his rants not only was it Koga who argued back but as well as Sango who could sometimes be more hot headed than both demons put together. Even she herself sometimes was sucked into the madness no matter how hard she tried to stay out of it. Kikyo and Miroku only seemed to care when there was actual physical violence.

This caused the tension between Kikyo and herself to become even worse. Kikyo was quick to come to Inuyasha's aid when things got too intense. This wouldn't have been such a bad thing but because Kikyo did not seem to have any sort of care for Koga as a member of the group these interventions often led to Kagome having to jump in to keep Kikyo from purifying her friend. The whole thing was getting out of control and she could feel that any second what order there was would be lost.

Right now Inuyasha and Koga were in the middle of what felt like the same argument for the hundredth time. It started with Inuyasha's insults towards her for having not sensed a single shard since the Boar Demon. She tried to ignore how irritating it was that he was so quick to criticize her even though Kikyo could sense shards just as well as she could but he didn't say anything to her. Even though she hadn't said anything to Inuyasha's insults, at once Koga came to her defense and then the argument circled around to how Inuyasha didn't think they needed Koga around.

Kagome sat with the palms of her hands pushed hard over her eyes as she groaned in frustration. She was currently sitting on the ground with her knees pulled to her chest. _"Why…... why please just let them both shut up."_ She thought to herself as her shoulders hunched further over like she was trying to shrink into a ball.

"You are an even bigger fool than I originally thought if you honestly believe that mutt. How can you even convince yourself that you don't need all the help you can get? You clearly don't know how to lead a pack and anyone with half a brain would accept that in order to track down and defeat Naraku it is going to take more than some dog boy with a sword." Koga was currently snapping at Inuyasha.

At this Inuyasha drew his sword and Kagome nearly physically flinched. She wasn't afraid but so far Inuyasha had destroyed several areas of forest all due to his temper. She knew this time would be no different.

"Oh yeah? You think you could do better. I would just like to see you try. You are a piss poor excuse of a fighter." Inuyasha said with a small smirk tugging the corners of his lips and he eagerly waited for Koga to pick a fight with him. His lust for violence sickened Kagome and she couldn't help in that moment wonder how she ever looked past that quality in Inuyasha. Yes he was a great person with a great heart but his own love in the thrill of battle made her stomach tie in knots of nervousness. Koga grit his teeth in frustration and she could tell he was losing his temper not really eager to fight like Inuyasha but down right frustrated and looking for a way to release that anger.

"That's it I am tired of hearing you spew bullshit. Might as well beat you until you choke on your words." Koga said his pupils now small slights as he was clearing trying to hold back how angry and short tempered he really was.

Before either could make a single move Kagome stood up with her hands clenched into fist at her sides. "That is it! Both of you just stop! This whole thing is ridiculous and childish and disgusting." She practically yelled and the whole group turned to look at her in surprise.

"Kagome just stay outa th…."

"SIT! SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!" She screamed before he could finish his sentence. Inuyasha was planted face first in the dirt unable to move with the force of her command. It had been some time she had used the beads to subdue Inuyasha. A part of her felt like it was inappropriate now that he was with Kikyo. As if she would be stepping over some line by doing so. At this point she cared very little though.

"Ha! Take that dog fa…." Before Koga could finish what he was saying he was suddenly pegged on the side of his head with a rock with charged with just enough spiritual energy for it to really hurt. "Ouch!" He yelped looking at Kagome in surprise only to be hit with another rock on the shoulder. Soon multiple rocks were flying his way as Kagome was throwing them as fast as she could find them to pick up. He held his hands up in defense too shocked to dodge them and flinching every time one made contact with him.

"I am done do you hear me?! No more! You are done fighting this instance. Your guy's behavior and attitude is nothing but toxic poison to the rest of the group. You both are driving everyone to the brink of madness. I won't deal with it anymore I mean it. Inuyasha you need to grow up and realize Koga is only trying to help us and get over whatever it is that is wrong with you. Koga I expected more of you. If you can't just let Inuyasha childish antics roll off your shoulders then maybe you really should think about returning to your pack. I don't want you to go but I can't take this anymore I am going to crazy! Now I am going to go to the hot spring if I hear any raised voices or if anyone tells me you two so much as looked at each other wrong I will purify you both into next week!" With that she grabbed her bag and made her way in the direction of the springs. "Come on Sango." She said in a huff. Normally she would not command her sister to do anything but right now she just wanted to relax with her best friend. Sango seemed to understand because she didn't say a word and simply followed behind Kagome.

* * *

 **Koga P.O.V.**

He felt ashamed. He knew that tensions had been high for everyone but seeing Kagome so upset and knowing he was part of the reason made him feel horrible. He hadn't realized the toll Inuyasha and his arguing had taken on everyone. Never before had Kagome been physically violent towards him. He could feel her anger as the spots the rocks had hit him still stung painfully. Inuyasha didn't seem to be in a much better state barely able to pull himself off the ground since Kagome had left for the spring. Inuyasha gave him a sideways look before frowning and leaping into a tree. Distance between them was probably best as he had no doubt Kagome would make good on her threat if she caught them arguing again. He tried not to let it hurt that she had told him he should leave if he couldn't handle himself around Inuyasha. He knew she was really upset but the thought that Kagome might think it was better for him not to be there still stung. _"She made a point to say she wanted you to stay though."_ That thought alone caused him to smile to himself as he set about collecting wood for a fire figuring they would be camping here for the night.

"I don't like or trust you Inuyasha but for her and everyone else's sake I say we try and at least just stay out of each other's way if we can't get along." Koga said barely above a whisper knowing Inuyasha and no one else would hear. He hoped the other would be mature enough to at least attempt to obey Kagome's wishes otherwise it was going to be that much more difficult for him.

"Inuyasha come down for a second please." He heard Kikyo call up to Inuyasha who had perched himself on a branch. Inuyasha hopped down without complaint and Koga couldn't help but notice the loving way he looked at Kikyo.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked Kikyo in a quiet voice and Koga was doing in best not to eavesdrop though it was difficult since they were all right there. Kikyo without saying anything though reached up and grabbed the prayer beads around Inuyasha's neck and pulled easily breaking them. Inuyasha as well as the others in the group stared wide eyed in surprise. They all knew the message Kikyo's actions sent. It would be made clear that Kikyo did not appreciate the control Kagome had possessed over the man she loves. Koga just shook his head to rid himself of the shock and continued to collect wood his thoughts returning to Kagome.

* * *

 **Inuyasha P.O.V.**

He had no idea what to say. All he could do was just stand there and stare at the beads on the ground. It hadn't ever accord to him that Kikyo had the ability to remove the prayer beads. He didn't even realize he could have asked. After so many years of having them it just became natural, like a permanent extension of his person. Now there the beads were on the ground completely useless.

Finally regaining his composure he looked up and met Kikyo's gaze. "Thank you…" He practically whispered with a small appreciative smile pulling the corners of his lips. Kikyo returned the smile and nodded her head though there was a spark in her eyes that gave away her still remaining slight irritation. Without asking Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kikyo and jumped back into the tree. Wiggling a little he made himself comfortable with Kikyo on his lap. "Let's get some rest before the others get back and we eat." He said pulling Kikyo close and watching as she nodded and let her eyes drift close as she curled up against him. Inuyasha couldn't have fallen asleep if he tried though instead stared off into the dark forest deep in thought.

Yes a part of him was happy to be rid of the prayer beads. Who wouldn't have been? Another part of him couldn't help but realize how it was just another tie to Kagome severed. He truly did love Kikyo and wanted to be with her. Not a single part of him regretted his decision to be with her. A part of him did feel sad at the loss of what he and Kagome shared. Yes they were still friends he couldn't imagine a time when they wouldn't be but the relationship they now had was confusing. Trying to make sure they kept that degree of separation as friends was suddenly complicated. It was part of the reason Koga's presence bothered him so much it made things all the more confusing for Inuyasha. He felt jealousy for the attention Kagome showed the Wolf and would get irritated seeing the way that Koga looked at Kagome even though he knew he had no right to feel that way. He knew it bothered not only Kagome but Kikyo as well. He had even tried to explain it to her but how was he supposed to put it into words when he couldn't even get his own thoughts straight. Kikyo had understood thankfully. All he knew was that he wanted to be with Kikyo and that he loved her more than anyone. He knew he had to let Kagome move on but for whatever reason he was struggling to let go of old feelings and habits.

 _"Koga is right for everyone's sake we have to stop fighting. I don't want Kagome angry at us especially not now when everything is already so tense. And I definitely don't want Kikyo to get angry because she might think I still have romantic feelings for Kagome when I don't… Plus Kagome does deserve to be able to move on…"_ He saw the way Kagome sometimes looked at Koga when she thought no one was looking. He had realized the other was developing feelings for the wolf and that she likely hadn't even realized it yet. He knew he needed to just let Kagome choose her own path in life he clearly struggled with it though. Despite knowing taking a step back was the right thing to do he had so little control over his actions and words. He knew if he and Kagome were going to stay friends he had to stop picking fights with the wolf and making things hard on everyone. With that in mind Inuyasha made the solid decision to put an effort into being civil with everyone including Koga.

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

"Thank Kami finally some peace and quiet." Kagome said as she slid further down into the hot water letting it relax he tense muscles.

"Your tellin me." Sango said as she too slid deep into the hot water. She watched as her sister let her eyes drift closed as she leaned back against a large rock. "How are you? I mean with everything." Sango asked softly watching as Kagome frowned just slightly.

"I am fine…" Kagome started to say before Sango cut her off.

"Don't you lie to me Kagome. I know you better than that plus I do have eyes I see how exhausted you are. You wake up looking awful I know they whole situation is probably hard for you but don't think I haven't noticed how you have been waking up in the mornings still completely exhausted even though you have actually been getting sleep."

Kagome sighed deeply before letting her eyes open so she could look at Sango. She should have really known better than to think Sango would let her get away with pretending she was ok. "Well yes I mean… things are confusing. I guess letting go of Inuyasha in that sense wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It still hurts but it's bearable. Having Kikyo in the group is more frustrating than anything. She hasn't done anything wrong I guess I just feel a little out of place with her around. I will admit as well I haven't been feeling that great. I think it is because she is now so close all the time. Not that its bad but I think having her nearby is literally draining at my energy. I haven't been able to decide which yet but it is like either my soul is trying to leave me and join its other half or there is something constantly working to try and pull the other half of my soul back to me. Either way I just feel tired all the time. I wonder if Kikyo feels it as well?" She could tell that her admission shocked the other and watched as Sango sat thinking about what she just told her.

"I guess it would be smart to ask her… as awkward as that might be. If that is what is happening we can't continue the way we are. I mean it will start to get worse I imagine and not only that but we can't expect you or her to be much help if something goes wrong if you are exhausted all the time just by being around each other." Sango said and Kagome nodded her head in agreement though the last thing she felt like doing was striking up a conversation with Kikyo. She really had been trying to feel well anything towards the other. Jealousy felt so juvenile. She knew deep down even without Kikyo that she and Inuyasha had lost the spark that was once between them. She had tried to hold onto it with everything she could. Inuyasha had been her first love after all and a part of her just didn't want to let it go. He was a good person, hot headed for sure, but one of the best people she knew. Accepting that they simply weren't meant for each other was hard. In that sense Kagome felt a little grateful for Kikyo. Without her finally coming to Inuyasha and asking for a second chance they would have likely still been stuck in that weird sort of limbo.

"Do you think we should try to include her more?" Sango suddenly asked and Kagome looked up ripped from her thoughts to see her friend with her head tilted back on a rock so she could gaze at the sky above them.

"Huh?" Was the only thing Kagome could utter surprised and also confused?

"Well… we haven't really been very open to her. I know I haven't. I have been downright cold because I wanted to stay mad at them both for hurting you. I also saw you were keeping your distance as well… and as your best friend I guess I just figured it was my place to hate the woman if you hated her." At this Sango looked over at her and winked before her expression became more serious. "I have been thinking though that maybe if we just… tried to include her make her feel accepted she would not be so difficult to be around. She is constantly on guard you can see it. It is like she expects at any second one of us will turn on her. It is affecting Inuyasha as well. I don't want to lose him as a friend because we were being too immature to even try and be nice to her."

At that Kagome bowed her head in shame. It was true while they had all accept that Kikyo was now going to be part of the group none had made the effort to really welcome her or make her feel included. They never asked her to join them in anything and Kagome had to admit if someone did that to her it would make her feel on edge as well. "I understand what you mean. I guess the more selfish side of me just wanted to blame her for how confused I have been feeling lately and the awkwardness that is now between Inuyasha and I. Plus I do still worry that in some crazy way this all may still be a trick even though I am pretty sure it isn't." Kagome signed and ran her fingers through her now damp hair. "Maybe we should see if she wants to help with dinner tonight? Not that it's really needed but it is a way to include her."

Sango nodded her head with a small smile though her eyes showed she felt just as awkward as Kagome about the whole thing.

"Alright let's get washed up and head back. I am sure by now Koga has gone and fetched some rabbit or something like he has been all week." Kagome said dunking her hair back into the water as she reached for her shampoo bottle.

"It really has been nice having him around, minus the constant fighting between him and Inuyasha. He really does go that extra step as a member of the group though. Not that I don't love the Ramen you bring from you time. It has just been nice to have fresh game to eat and the fire started without you and I being the ones to build it. Even Miroku seems to be trying to make more of an effort to pitch in I think Koga is rubbing off on him. It is kind of nice."

"I know I can see why his pack respects him so much now. He just goes out and does what he thinks needs to be done." She couldn't keep the smile from appearing as she thought about Kago and it didn't go unnoticed by Sango who smirked.

"Very attractive qualities in a man for sure." She heard Sango say and couldn't help but blush.

"Well yeah sure…" She mumbled as she rinsed the soap from her hair.

"Oh come on Kagome don't tell me you haven't thought about him like that." Kagome's blush only deepened and she splashed water in Sango's direction shushing her as she looked around as if afraid they would be over heard.

"I… have not." Her voice squeaked a tiny bit as her embarrassment grew.

"Ok ok… well maybe you should is all I am saying." Sango said clearly amused and with that both girls quickly finished their bath before making their way back to camp.

* * *

Like they had guessed Koga had caught three rabbit for dinner. They had already been skinned by the time they returned and were ready to be thrown on the fire. Unfortunately they were skinny and didn't really have enough meat for everyone to get a decent meal so Kagome decided they should have Ramen as well so they could all go to sleep that night full. As she dug through her bag grabbing what they would need she glanced up at Kikyo who was perched in the tree with Inuyasha. Looking over to Sango she watched as her friend nodded her head in encouragement.

 _"Ugh why is this so weird you are only asking her to help cook dinner. Stop being such a sissy."_ She thought to herself trying to force the words out.

"Uhh… hey Kikyo would you like to help Sango and I with dinner." She said just loud enough for everyone to hear. She couldn't help but notice how all three men raised an eyebrow clearly curious as to what she was doing. Inuyasha looked ready to say something until all the suddenly a look of realization crossed his features and he looked at Kikyo who was still on his lap.

Kikyo for the first time looked surprised and lost her mask of indifference. Kagome watched as she glanced over to Sango and then back to her. "Of course." She finally said and waited for Inuyasha to help her down from the tree before she made her way over to Kagome. "I have been curious about your odd noodles in the cup." She said softly.

 _"Woah is she actually trying to make conversation…"_ Kagome thought to herself before shaking off her surprise and reasoning this was all good. "Oh the Ramen? Yeah I guess it would seem weird huh? Well I don't know all the details of how they did it but in my time they found a way to stop the cooking process of the noo…" Suddenly Koga plopped himself down right next to her giving her a pointed look.

"Not to interrupt but you really are going to have to explain the whole… 'your time' business to me at some point. Pretty sure I am still the only one here that doesn't know the whole story. But that is for later I am curious about the hard noodles too." Koga said as he scooted closer to her watching as she prepared the noodles while Sango handled the rabbits.

"Oh sure Koga…" Kagome said having completely forgot that Koga still had no idea about how she ended up 500 year in the past from her own time. "Anyways…. So they found a way to stop the cooking process of the noodles. So now all you have to do is put them in hot water to sort of… rehydrate them and you can buy multiple flavors. My favorite is spicy chicken. Instant food is kind of a big thing in my time. It makes it easier to store and keep so it doesn't really go bad." She watched as Koga and Kikyo nodded as they watched. "Here we can all just prepare our own up cup and eat that while the rabbit cooks." Everyone gathered and took a small cup and then followed Kagome's example of pouring in the hot water and letting it sit for a few minutes before stirring and breaking up the noodles.

For the most part everyone ate in silence while the rabbit cooked. Once they had portioned out the rabbit for everyone Koga came over and sat next to her scooting close so he could lean against the same tree as her.

"So your time?" He said offhandedly as he slowly ate.

"It is kind of complicated and I can't really explain all of it to be honest. But I was born actually 500 years from now. It is really different than it is now. There are buildings taller than the trees and made of metal, machines that people sit in to travel, and it is so loud and noisy…. so busy. To be honest I have a hard time returning there and feeling like it is still home. Anyways, one morning I followed my cat into my family's old shrine and this centipede demon grabbed me and pulled me down the well. She was after the Shikon Jewel which was actually at the time in my side. When I fell into the well I managed to break free of Mistress Centipedes grasp and had no idea I had actually just traveled through time. When I climbed out of the well and found myself in this era. Well you can imagine that I was a little more than confused. The rest of the story you guys know. I found Inuyasha pinned to the Goshinboku tree set him free and a series of demon attacks led to me accidentally shattering the jewel which is the reason we are all now camped in the middle of the forest hunting for them." She knew it wasn't the best of explanations about how she comes from a different era but with everyone starring at her intently, listening to her, she became self-conscious. Koga nodded his head though accepting her tale and she relaxed relieved she wouldn't have to try and explain what happened better.

"So do you have family back there? I mean in your time?" Koga asked and Kagome smiled though her eyes relieved a slight sadness.

"Yes I do I have a younger brother he is 13 now and my Mother and Grandfather." She said softly.

"You miss them?" Koga asked tilting his head so he could see her face.

"Yes I do all the time. It is hard though. Like I mentioned it doesn't really feel like my home anymore when I go back. I feel out of place and have a hard time handling the craziness that comes with the future. I even have a hard time with the smell of the city when I go back which is saying a lot considering I am human. I think I realized I don't really belong there anymore when I tried to spend some time with my old friends from school. I could barely stand them. Not that they are bad people but everything they talked about, everything they were interested in seemed so trivial to me. I can't blame them for enjoying a simple life… I just don't fit into it anymore." Kagome realized she was rambling and that everyone in the group was staring at her sympathetically. Even Inuyasha had a look of concern and sadness in his eyes. Kagome had to fight the urge to become irritated. She hated that the others were feeling sorry for her but she knew she couldn't really blame them. Each one of them had suffered great loss in the hunt for the jewel shards.

 _"At least my family is alive and well."_ She thought before shaking her head refusing to fall into a pit of depression for thinking about all that they had lost.

"I am so grateful though. Sometimes I have to remind myself that falling through the well has also brought me more happiness than I could ever imagine for myself. I have found some of the best friends anyone could ever ask for and Shippo my son. I wouldn't change a single thing if it meant losing any of you." Shippo hopped onto Kagome's lap and gave her a hug.

"I am glad that the well brought you to me Mama when I needed you the most." He said and he snuggled against her refusing to move. Kagome simply smiled down at the child she had grown to love and accept as her own and she wrapped her arms around him holding him close. She didn't notice the way Koga looked at her with admiration knowing there were not many human women who would take a demon child into their care.

"Well I don't know about the rest of you but I am pretty sleepy." Kagome said reaching into her pack for her blanket prepared to crash for the night.

"Mhm." She heard Sango mumble in agreement as she snuggled against Kirara who had taken her larger demon form.

Everyone at that began to get ready for bed Inuyasha and Kikyo returning to their perch in the tree and Miroku took a spot by the fire. Not paying attention she had to stop herself from yelping in surprise when Koga wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his lap. It was the closest they had been since the nap they had taken together before Koga decided to join the group. She half expected to hear a yell of protest from Inuyasha but when nothing happened she simply smiled and draped the blanket across Koga, Shippo and herself. The way Koga held her felt nice and she couldn't help but instantly becoming drowsy feeling more relaxed than she had been in a while. "Goodnight." She said softly before she curled up against him nuzzling her cheek against his chest. _"Why does this feel so natural? I haven't ever just felt this comfortable with a man. I mean Koga has only been with us for a week but here I am on his lap like it is an everyday occurrence."_ Kagome didn't think about it too much too exhausted to stay awake for very long. Just before she fell asleep she thought to herself she would definitely have to talk to Kikyo about their shared soul the next day.

* * *

 **Koga P.O.V.**

Koga was all too happy when Kagome didn't fight him when he pulled her onto his lap. He knew he was definitely pushing it considering he and Inuyasha hadn't really agreed to stop arguing. Well he had voiced it but the hanyou had yet to say anything. A part of him just couldn't help it though. Each day is affection and desire for her grew. She continued to prove to him what a wonderful mate she could be and she wasn't even trying. He had made a point to not push her and profess is love like he usually did. He didn't want her to think he was joking or doing it to just get a rise out of Inuyasha like he had done in the past. They next time he told Kagome he loved her he wanted to make sure she knew how much he meant it. She was truly a remarkable person who had been through so much and still remained kind hearted, brave and strong. He had no idea all that Kagome went through before. Yes he had deduces some time ago that she was… different. She was just too out of place from the things that she talked about to the clothes that she wore. She was definitely not like women from their time. He never would have guessed that she time travelled though.

Koga like the rest though couldn't stay awake for long. He was too comfortable with the woman he loved and her kit in his arms. The way Kagome's hair smelt was intoxicating to Koga and helped to ease him into a comfortable state of sleep.

* * *

 **Naraku P.O.V.**

 _"Finally they are all asleep…"_ Naraku thought from his place in the shadows not far from the group. He had been waiting for the opportune moment to unleash the plan he had been working on for months. He had done his job in staying off of the groups and everyone else's radar working tirelessly to gather all that he needed. It had been difficult but he finally found what he was looking for. _"That damned woman will soon no longer be a problem. They are all so blind thinking that it is that half breeds strength that keeps them all safe but it has always been her. Her and her damned spiritual gifts from the Kami. That will all change after tonight though."_ In his hand he held a glass orb that contained what looked like swirling black smoke and was glowing a dark menacing purple. _"All thanks to help of a rather nasty dark priestess."_ He thought with a smirk before disappearing into the dark forest.

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

Kagome woke with a start she could feel the chills running up her spine sensing someone's eyes on her. She tightened her hold on Shippo suddenly very aware that the group was no longer alone and that something was very wrong. "Koga." She said barely above a whisper as she reached up and grabbed the fur he wore.

"I know…" He said as he sat up. When Kagome looked up at him she saw his eyes shifting from side to side as he tried to figure out what was there.

A growl off to her side caused her to sit up and turn and she saw Kirara had now stood up her hair raised as she stared off into the forest at something Kagome could not see. Sango at Kirara's warning grabbed her Hiraikotsu as she too tried to tried to see what Kirara was seeing. Suddenly a pulse ran through Kagome and she immediately got to her feet just as Inuyasha had jumped out of the tree with Kikyo. "He's here." Kagome said not having to explain who 'he' was as the rest of the group likely already knew even without being able to sense the shards. There were very few out there that put off the dark energy that followed Naraku where ever he went.

Suddenly a chuckle echoed through the forest and all around them giving no indication of what direction it really came from and an orb flew from the forest right where Kagome was staring and shattered where it hit the ground between the group. Before anyone could react thick black swirls of smoke began to pour from the place where the orb had broke and filled the air quickly. Kagome covered her nose afraid it may be poison as it became so thick she couldn't see the others standing just a few feet away.

"I can't see Kagome!" She heard Shippo cry out and held him closer to her chest and looked down. She was just barely able to see him but was shocked when she saw that his pupils had completely disappeared like he was blind. _"He really means he can't see. Kami what is this?"_ She thought as she frantically looked around for the others within the smoke. Something grabbed her wrist and she jumped in fear before she realized it was Koga.

"Everything has gone black." He said just loud enough for her to hear and she realized that he too was now blind.

"Shit what the hell is this?!" She heard Inuyasha yell angrily though she couldn't see where he was. Suddenly Kagome again felt the tingle on the back of her neck signaling that she was being watched. Slowly she turned and had to swallow a terrified scream as she saw a set of bright glowing purple eyes surrounded by a dark mass just barely able to make out within the smoke. They were locked on her even though there were no pupils and they did not move she knew whatever was there was looking right at her.

 _Run._ Something inside her screamed though she stayed frozen. _RUN!_ It demanded finally startling Kagome out of her stupor. Without thinking Kagome forced Shippo against Koga's chest taking him by such surprise that he instinctively wrapped his arms around the kit letting go of Kagome's wrist. "Protect him with your life Koga." She said before she took off running. "Mama! Come back don't leave me!" "Kagome no wait! Kagome!" She heard Shippo and Koga scream but forced herself to keep going. She had no idea how but she knew whatever it was would follow and she was right. As she emerged from the cloud of smoke and into the forest she felt the dark energy right behind her. It was rare that anything really scared her anymore. They had faced all manner of demons in her travel and she had grown accustomed to having her life threatened all the time. This was different though. This, whatever it was didn't feel like the demons they had faced in the past. It felt like darkness… it felt evil and something deep inside of Kagome told her no matter how fast she ran or how hard she pushed she would not be able to out run it.

 _It will catch you and it will destroy you_. Something inside her head spoke making her heart pound and her fear spike. The sounds in the forest were doing little to help her fear. Owls screeched as they took flight and she swore the forest floor came alive as all the small creatures and insects began to emerge, they too fleeing from the darkness. _"No…"_ She thought in desperation as she felt it closing in on her. Suddenly a pain ripped through her chest causing her to stumble and grab onto a nearly tree to brace herself. Another wave of pain ripped through her causing her to cry out and grip the front of her shirt. It was like she had been feeling since Kikyo had joined the group like her soul was literally fighting to get out only now the pain was amplified to the point that her vision went blurry.

Looking behind her she froze seeing the glowing eyes literally right in front of her face though there was no distinguishable shape that they belong to. It was just a black mass within the smoke and even though she could not see it she could feel it smiling in triumph knowing it had caught its prey. Suddenly the wind shifted and it felt like it was pounding all around her as the smoke began to close in on her. She shut her eyes tight against the force of the wind and was brought to her knees as pain tore through her whole body causing her to break out into a thin layer of sweat. She wasn't even able to catch her breath as it felt like her lungs were on fire. Now on her knees and bracing herself off the ground with her hands she used what little strength she had and screamed. She screamed as the fire coursed through her causing her to lose all sense of reality and only able to focus on the pain. As she screamed though the smoke began to enter her through her mouth paralyzing her making it so she was unable to close her mouth to stop whatever it was from entering her body. Soon all the smoke was gone, now contained within her and she fell limp on the forest floor as her world went black.

* * *

A/N: _And that is it for this chapter everyone. I hope you all enjoyed it._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

A/N: _I own only the idea of this fanfiction and the plot within nothing else. I make no profit off of this story and merely do it for fun._

* * *

 **Koga P.O.V.**

 _"No… Kagome!"_ Koga thought to himself as he blindly tried to follow after her by scent. His attempt failed though as he soon heard the thunderous hum of what sounded like hundreds of wings. He knew all too well that just a few feet in front of him was a wall of Naraku's poisonous insects. On a regular day he would have had no trouble tearing through them. Now blind and with a fox kit in his arms he could only curse in frustration. "Damn it!" He swore loudly.

"What's happening?" He heard Sango cry a few feet behind him.

"Whatever was in that smoke blinded everyone except for Kagome and she took off running on her own! Whatever Naraku is up to has to do with her. Why else would she be left unaffected by the smoke." Koga called back.

"You let her just take off on her own?!" Inuyasha spat out in frustration.

"As if I just let it happen on purpose!? Don't you hear it? I tried to follow but we are surrounded." He bit back though Inuyasha's words stung as guilt began to set it. _"I should never have lost my guard now Kagome is alone. How could I let this happen? Please Kami let her be ok."_

* * *

 **Naraku P.O.V.**

Slowly he stepped from his place within the shadows. He had watched as the young Miko ran frantically for her life. It had been all too amusing seeing the fear in her eyes as she ran through the forest. When she finally fell as his curse entered her body chills ran up his spine. _"It actually worked… The Dark Priestess actually knew what she was doing…"_ He thought to himself as satisfaction coursed through him. Now he stood before her collapsed body on the forest floor waiting patiently for the curse to take affect.

 _"Soon… very soon her Riki will be mine to take and use for my new incarnation and they will be able to sense the last of the jewel shards and be useful in battle against Inuyasha and any other demon that dare to challenge me. And young Kagome will die without anything to fill the void the loss of her Riki left behind."_ Naraku began to chuckle knowing that the group would be lost without their precious Miko. She was the glue that held them all together and the key to his success. Without her all would be lost for them and Naraku could nearly taste his victory. The sound of gagging tore him out of his thoughts and brought his attention to the girl at his feet. He watched as she began to cough and small droplets of blood landed on the forest floor. Curious he crouched down and rolled her onto her back watching as her brows pulled together in frown and she groaned in pain.

Suddenly her eyes shot open and her back arched high as she let out a terrifying scream that took even Naraku by such surprise that he jumped back. Soon the scream faded though and Kagome's body relaxed as she exhaled and wisps of pink magic escaped with her last breath. Following the flow of magic a beautiful small glowing pink sphere slowly rose out of Kagome's mouth and Naraku stared in wonder as it continued to rise above the girl's body.

 _"That is it! Her Riki… it is mine."_ He thought as he took a tentative step forward his eyes wide. Slowly he raised his hands the closer he got, eager for the sphere to be within his grasp. Just before his fingers were about to wrap around the glowing sphere though it suddenly shot high into the air out of his reach. _"What? No, this shouldn't be happening…"_ He thought as he watched horrified as the sphere took off in a streak of light before disappearing completely over the trees. "No… NO!" He yelled in rage not knowing what to do. "Kagura!" He all but screamed and seconds later the Wind Sorceress appeared but remained silent. "Come, we are paying another little visit to Yoi. That damned Priestess has some explaining to do." He said bitterly walking towards her.

"And her?" Kagura said indifferently nodding her head in the direction of Kagome's lifeless body.

Naraku glanced over his shoulders taking in the Miko's state. Her once beautiful brown eyes were now dull and lifeless and she was no longer breathing. "She is dead and no longer a threat to us." He said smirking as he realized even with the Riki lost there was still some small victory to be won. With that the two took off on Kagura's giant feather and disappeared into the night.

* * *

 **Kikyo P.O.V.**

The blindness was terrifying though she had yet to utter a single word. Inuyasha and Koga were both cussing up storms trying to find ways for them to break through the cloud of poisonous insects though they all knew it was pointless. Without their sight they would do little good stumbling through the forest. Something within her was truly worried though. Something was definitely not right, her entire being shook with anxiety. If she were more than a clay shell she would have been shivering and sweating with the whirl wind of emotion she was experiencing. She knew it must have to do with Kagome. Since they had joined forces the half of the soul she had was constantly fighting against her as if trying to return to her reincarnation or over working to stay where it was. Whatever was happening now something inside her told her Kagome was in trouble and though they weren't close she didn't want anything bad to happen to the other.

 _"Naraku what are you planning?"_ Kikyo thought to herself as she reached up placing her hand over where she should have been able to feel her heart beating if she were alive. Suddenly she felt a pulse run through her. It was different than when she sensed jewel shards but she could sense that something was approaching. "Inuyasha…" She said and the two demons fell silent. "What is it?" She heard her love respond and her brows pulled together in confusion. "I don't know something is happening. I can sense something but I don…" Before she could finish it felt like something slammed into her chest. The force caused her to fall back and knocked the wind out of her leaving her gasping as she clenched her hanjuban above her heart. "Kikyo!?" She heard Inuyasha call out before she felt him by her side as he reached down and pulling her close him. "Kikyo what is it?" He asked fear evident in his voice.

It felt as though her whole body was on fire and she gasped before crying out in pain. _"What is this?"_ She thought as fear began to set in. Another pulse ran through her this time more powerful. She could hear Inuyasha calling her name but his voice was muffled as she could hear the blood rushing and pounding in her ears. _"Blood?"_ She thought to herself suddenly realizing how alive she felt. With a trembling hand she flattened her fingers over her chest above her heart as she waited. With the feeling of her now beating heart her eyes went wide in realization. "Kagome…" She said softly fear laced in the single word.

"What about Kagome woman?" She heard the Wolf Demon ask a few feet away. "Why do you smell so different all the sudden?" He asked a few seconds later.

Before anyone had time to say anything though the sound the insects stirred and slowly began to disappear. "They are leaving…" She said to no one in particular. As the swarm slowly left her vision returned. First foggy but then returned to normal. Looking around it was like nothing had happened at all expect for Kagome's absence. Slowly Kikyo sat up still holding her hand over her now beating heart.

"What did you say Kagome's name for?" The wolf demon asked now glaring at her his patience obviously wearing thin.

"My soul… it's whole. I am alive…" She said slowly afraid to say what she thought it meant out loud.

"What the hell does that have to do with Kagome?" He asked his anger rising.

"Kagome's soul was split… They each only had half. But now Kikyo…" Inuyasha said quietly and Kikyo looked over to see him staring at her with a mixture of wonder and horror. Looking back to the Wolf Demon she watched as the realization dawned on him as he backed away from her slowly before turning and taking off at an inhuman speed into the forest likely to find Kagome.

 _"Please let me be wrong and Kagome be safe and well."_ She thought to herself slowly standing on shaky legs determined to follow Koga to find Kagome.

* * *

 **Sesshomaru P.O.V.**

Sesshomaru growled in annoyance. It had been a peaceful day for the most part before his men reported that his half-brother and his pack were approaching his lands. He had meant to merely come out and taunt his little brother and get a rise out of him. It had become their routine as of the last year. No longer were they constantly trying to kill each other at every opportunity. From the outside it might have seemed like it but now their battles had no real force behind them. It was simple sparring neither actually trying to end the others life. They weren't exactly civil to one another but Sesshomaru's hate had finally melted with time and now he just took the chance to pester his brother when the opportunity presented itself. Truth was he had grown to have a small ounce of respect for his brother and his pack. More than once they had all proven themselves in battle and on rare occasion they had even worked together. Gaining his new respect for his brother and his comrades also help Sesshomaru to see humans in a new light. While he still disliked most as he thought many humans were foolish and let their emotions control and rule their lives he no longer hated them.

Tonight, what he had anticipated to be just another normal meeting and taken an awful turn. Now he could sense Naraku in the area and he internally chastened himself for allowing Rin to accompany him. In the past he would have ordered Jaken to take Rin back to the castle and keep her safe but history had proven more than once that that plan never ended well. So he kept her close at his side completely on guard worried as the sounds within the forest alerted to the danger a head of them. "Rin stay close to me and if something should happen I want you to find a hiding spot and stay there." He looked down at the girl who he had grown to love as a daughter waiting for her to acknowledge what he had said. When she didn't answer instead looking up at him worried as if she thought to stay by him no matter what he couldn't help but frown. "Rin?" He said a little force behind his words not looking for her to challenge him on the matter.

"Hai Otousan." Rin finally responded softly though Sesshomaru could see the fierce protectiveness that she felt. He couldn't help the small swell of pride he felt as he watched her turn her gaze forward determined to be brave. He could almost sense the disobedience in her knowing she was likely to stay and try her best to protect him opposed to hide. He would have to be sure to keep a close eye on her and make sure she didn't get herself into any trouble.

As the wind shifted Sesshomaru picked up the scent of Kagome, Kagura and Naraku and noticed all but the Miko were fading. _"They are leaving?"_ He questioned wondering if maybe his younger brother's companion had managed to chase them off. He had not heard the sound of battle though. The uncertainty of the situation made him that much more nervous and he picked up the pace wishing to find out what had happened. _"Why is she alone and not with her group?"_ All the questions were beginning to frustrate him. When he finally did spot Kagome's body on the ground he stopped walking a deep frown setting on his face. Rin reacted before he had time to really process the situation as she ran forward and fell to her knees next to the young woman's body.

"Kagome-chan!" Rin cried out as she grasped the others arm and shook it roughly. Finally regaining his focus Sesshomaru made his way over his indifferent mask in place. The young woman was dead he could see the beings from the Netherworld working to take the girls soul. Without hesitation he drew Tenseiga and slashed through the air where he could see the pall-bearers. Some may have been surprised by his actions but the Miko had managed to gain his respect over the years. Often she had rescued and protected Rin when he was unable. At first he had hated her for it taking it as his own short comings that a human girl was able to do something he hadn't been able to do himself. As time went on and Rin grew closer to Kagome so did Sesshomaru. He would never say it out loud but he could at least admit to himself that he almost saw the woman as a friend. They had on rare occasion shared each other's company and conversed. When he had learned that Kagome was from another time he had been wildly curious and often pestered her about the future trying to learn all that he could. His respect only grew as he began to recognize her as an extremely intelligent and kind individual. In their meetings Kagome was taking the time to teach Rin to read and write. Something that was no common among women of their time let alone those of a lower class.

Seeing her now cut down so young caused something in his chest to clench. He couldn't help but realize he did not want her to die. So without question using Tenseiga to save her was what he had to do. He openly frowned though as more creatures of the Nether appeared again working diligently to take Kagome's soul.

"Why isn't Tenseiga working Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked tears now pooling in her eyes as she stared up at him desperate for him to help Kagome. He looked down at the sword that had never failed him before and frowned deeply frustrated and confused. Again he cut down the Netherworld beings and just as before more appeared to replace the old. Sesshomaru realized that as hard as they worked they couldn't draw out Kagome's soul. _"She is empty…"_ He realized in slight horror now understanding why Naraku and Kagura had left without a fight.

"Otousan please help Kagome. Don't let her die please. I don't want Kagome-chan to die." Rin pleaded looking up at him her tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Rin I don't…" Before he could finish though Rin began to sob and interrupted him. "Please Otousan just try, please." She begged pulling at his heart as he hated seeing her so distraught. _"This is old magic, what is there that I can do?"_ He thought gritting his teeth in frustration. He knelt down next to Kagome's body not having a clue of what he could do to save her.

"Sesshomaru-sama I think I may know of a way to help Kagome-sama." Sesshomaru suddenly heard in his left ear and glanced over to see Myoga perched on his shoulder. "Myoga…" He said coldly acknowledging the other who always seemed to appear once the danger had passed. "Naraku used an old dark spell to steal Kagome-sama's Riki. With half of her soul already sealed within the resurrected priestess Kikyo she now is empty. To live she needs something to replace the power that was stolen from her. If you were to give her some of your blood she would become youkai."

"It is that simple?" Sesshomaru asked having never heard of a human turned youkai ever.

"No, all cases I have heard of where humans have ever taken the blood of a youkai they died not able to handle the demon blood. But I believe Kagome-sama is strong enough. She is one of the most powerful Miko in history and I believe she will be able to handle it. If she does survive though she will still have a long road ahead of her. Learning to control herself as a full blooded youkai will take time. She will have trouble controlling her beast. You must know as well Sesshomaru-sama if you share your blood with her it will make her inu-yokai and a part of your clan. She will in truth become like your sister sharing your blood line." Myoga said all of this quickly and Sesshomaru could tell that the flea was doubtful he would agree to do it.

"Hn…" He said staring intently at Kagome wondering if he should really do it. It would make him responsible for teaching her the ways of inu as well as learning to cope with being a demon. She would also gain the title as Lady of the West as he was unmarried and she would become his sister. All of it was a lot to process in a matter of minutes. And he wasn't sure he truly wanted to deal with that hassle should the Miko survive.

"Otousan?" He heard Rin's soft voice pulling him out of his thoughts and he raised his eyes to meet hers. She still had the pleading desperation in her eyes and it was all it took for Sesshomaru to make up his mind. If he didn't at least try Rin would never forgive him and he couldn't live with causing her that much pain. So without any other words being spoke he lifted his hand and used his fang to slice a deep cut into his wrist and then held the bleeding wound over Kagome's mouth. He watched silently as drop after drop fell between her slightly parted lips.

"That should be enough Sesshomaru-sama. Rin you should move away." Myoga said after a minute and Sesshomaru lowered his wrist.

"Rin listen to Myoga I know you care for Kagome but we don't know what is going to happen." Sesshomaru said after Rin stayed by Kagome's side ignoring the flea. As if already fearing danger Myoga leapt from Sesshomaru's shoulder and onto Rin's as the young girl stood up and back away. At first it seemed like nothing was going to happen but then Sesshomaru heard Kagome slightly exhale showing signs of life. After another few minutes of silence Sesshomaru felt a pulse that resonated from Kagome's body and then after a few second another. Suddenly Kagome's fist clenched and her eyes shut tight as a very small whimper escaped from her lips. Sesshomaru watched in wonder as the woman's features began to alter right before his eyes. Her hair grew even longer than it already was and deepened in color. Where before it had been a flat black it now shown with tints of midnight blue. Markings similar to his own began to appear, magenta stripes around her wrist and across her cheeks, and a blue crescent moon though instead of on her forehead it appeared on her neck below her right ear. While the process had seemed to be going smoothly Kagome suddenly arched her back as her mouth opened in a silent scream. Sesshomaru watched as her teeth shifted and she grew fangs and her soft human body hardened with the muscle and strength of a full fledged demon.

"What have you done to my mate?" He suddenly heard off to his right and he turned to see Koga though his eyes bled red and he stared at him with pure rage. It was clear the others beast was just on the surface ready to take revenge for the woman he cared for. Sesshomaru was a little curious at Koga referring to Kagome as his mate as he could not sense such a connection between the two.

"You are mistaken Wolf this Sess…" He was unable to finish before Koga attacked too far gone to hear reason. "Stop this. This Sesshomaru has done nothing to harm the Miko." He said as he blocked all of Koga's advances. The other was having none of it though. Sesshomaru could tell the Wolf Lord was out for his head and if he didn't get through to the other soon things were going to get bloody.

* * *

 **Inuyasha P.O.V.**

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out rushing over to her thrashing body on the ground. The group had just shown up behind Koga who was already attacking Sesshomaru. "What is happening?" He asked no one though his eyes were wide as he took in Kagome's appearance.

"Master Inuyasha do not touch her you will only make the transformation harder for her." He heard Myoga call out as the flea jumped onto his haori.

"Transformation? What do you mean Myoga? What the hell happened to her?" He asked in frustration the rest of the group looking the flea as well everyone desperate to find out what had happened to their friend.

"Naraku used old dark magic to steal Lady Kagome's riki, Inuyasha. I am guessing by the now very much alive Kikyo though his plans didn't go exactly according to plan." Everyone looked to Kikyo at that statement before turning their attention back to the flea. "Even though his plans were foiled it still left Kagome incomplete. Most of her soul and all of her powers as a Miko are gone. She was dead when Lord Sesshomaru and young Rin found her. I advised Sesshomaru to save her by sharing his blood when Tenseiga didn't work. Kagome is now making the change from a human into a youkai. All in the past have died during the transformation. But it was Kagome's only hope and I believe her to be strong enough to survive."

The group turned their attention to the two battling demons. All a little surprised that Sesshomaru was actually trying to help Kagome. Sure some of them knew that the two were no longer enemies but no one would have guessed he would go so far as to share his own blood to save her. "Master Inuyasha you should stop Koga and Sesshomaru. He was only trying to help and Koga won't listen to his reason." Myoga said a bit nervously obviously uncomfortable with the idea of two very angry demons going into a full on battle. The situation between the two battling youkai was quickly escalating and getting out of hand as Sesshomaru's eyes were tinting red with anger. His patients for the Wolf were fading and he was all too happy to end the other. Before that could happen though Koga froze without notice his eyes wide as he seemed to be listening intently before his head jerked in Kagome's direction. "Kagome?" They all heard the Wolf say and watched as Koga's eyes returned to normal as his anger subsided and he made his way over to where the rest of the group stood around Kagome's now still form.

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

Everything was fire. Her blood was fire, the air she breathed was fire even her skin was fire. Kagome knew nothing but pain. She had been certain that she was dying before. Feeling like her soul was ripped from body before her world went black. When she woke she couldn't even move for fear that it would only worsen the pain that she felt. She had no idea what was going on but everything in her body was screaming. At first she was just doing all that she could not to move a muscle going so far as to not even breath like she knew she should. But as her muscle contracted and expanded against her will she lost all sense of control and her body thrashed and arch with each course of pain that shot through her.

 _"What is happening to me?"_ She thought as her head began to pound and she whimpered fighting the urge to vomit. She was vaguely aware that she wasn't alone and though all the sounds around her were muffled she was sure she could hear Shippo crying out her name. _"No is he watching me die?"_ She thought out of panic as she bit down on her tongue to keep herself from screaming in pain again. "Kagome-chan?!" She heard again only this time it wasn't Shippo. _"Rin? No what is happening. Ahhh!"_ It felt like hours of nothing but fire coursing through her, in reality it was only minutes. When the pain finally did began to subside though she lay grateful for the cool forest floor against her blazing skin. Her body was covered in sweat from the transformation she just went through and she panted exhausted from the experience. She whimpered again as hear vision came into focus as she saw all of her friends and loved ones standing around her staring at her wide eyes. The only one she didn't see was Koga. _"Koga where is he why isn't he here?"_ She thought to herself too tired to try and understand the worry and sadness she felt at his absence. "Koga?" She barely whispered and again whimpered and flinched in pain. Seconds later he was there at her side grabbing her hand gently.

"Kagome?" She heard him say and she smiled instantly comforted by his presence. "Kagome what happened?" At his question she tried to recall what had happened when she ran from the darkness but nothing came to mind. The edges of her vision began to darken and she realized exactly how tired she felt. Closing her eyes she gripped Koga's hand that held her tight. "Koga? Stay with me… don't leave…" She barely managed to whisper before fading into darkness again.

* * *

 **Koga P.O.V.**

"Kagome? Kagome!" Koga said now pulling her limp form against his chest and he listened making sure she was still breathing and her heart beating.

"Koga-sama, Lady Kogame is likely just exhausted from all the she has gone through. She just needs to rest. You all should find somewhere to camp for a few days to give her time to recover her strength." Myoga spoke up,

"You all will accompany me to my home. You may rest there as we wait for Kagome to heal." Sesshomaru said in a matter of fact voice that took the group by surprise.

"Like hell we will. Who do you think you…" Inuyasha started to argue with his brother. While they might have been civil for nearly a year now he certainly didn't trust his brother even after he saved Kagome.

"Inuyasha it is not up for you to decide. Kagome needs a safe place to recover which is something I can offer. Her and I also have much to discuss once she is awake. She is Lady of the West now whether she likes it or not and with the title comes certain obligation and responsibility. It is about time you return to your lands and learn to rule them anyways little brother. I have done your job far too long, as a son of Inu no Taisho it is your responsibility to help maintain and rule the Western Lands our Father worked to build. You have ignored these responsibilities long enough." With that Sesshomaru turned and began to make his way through the forest followed by Rin.

Everyone stared after him eyes wide and mouths gapped. Never before had Sesshomaru recognized Inuyasha's status that came with being his Father's son. They had all sort of accepted that Sesshomaru wanted nothing to do with Inuyasha or give him what was his right by birth. Slowly all coming out of the stupor they began to follow the ever confusing Western Lord and his charge. Koga lifted Kagome carefully into his arms and caught up with the rest. He had been the only one to pay little attention to what had transpired between the brothers his thought too consumed with Kagome. His beast was still raging within him demanding vengeance on those who had hurt her.

 ** _"Mate hurt…."_** His inner beast seethed causing his blood to boil.

 _"Yes."_ He responded simply knowing if he ignored his beast now it would do no good only causing more frustration for them both.

 ** _"Kill Naraku for hurting mate."_** His beast demanded causing him to close his eyes fighting back the anger.

 _"Yes…. Yes we will."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

A/N: _I own only the idea of this fanfiction and the plot within nothing else. I make no profit off of this story and merely do it for fun._

* * *

 _Recap of where we left off:_

 _Everyone stared after him eyes wide and mouths gaped. Never before had Sesshomaru recognized Inuyasha's status that came with being his Father's son. They had all sort of accepted that Sesshomaru wanted nothing to do with Inuyasha or give him what was his right by birth. Slowly all coming out of the stupor they began to follow the ever confusing Western Lord and his charge. Koga lifted Kagome carefully into his arms and caught up with the rest. He had been the only one to pay little attention to what had transpired between the brothers his thought too consumed with Kagome. His beast was still raging within him demanding vengeance on those who had hurt her._

 _ **"Mate hurt…."** His inner beast seethed causing his blood to boil. _

_"Yes." He responded simply knowing if he ignored his beast now it would do no good only causing more frustration for them both._

 _ **"Kill Naraku for hurting mate."** His beast demanded causing him to close his eyes fighting back the anger._

 _"Yes…. Yes we will."_

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

 _"My head…"_

" _Kami it hurts. My whole body... everything hurts..."_

" _Where am I though? Ah! No... No. Never mind I should definitely not open my eyes yet, that just makes it worse. Ugh! It is so bright in here…."_

" _In here? Where the heck is here? What happened? Ah man I should really get up and figure out where I am and where is everyone else? Inuyasha... Koga... Shippo? Naraku! The Darkness! Kami! Where is my son!"_

With the rush of scattered memories of running for her life in the forest suddenly rushing back to her, Kagome instantly shot up, her eyes snapping open. She instantly flinched and had to grip the blanket beneath her the best that she could to keep from swaying and falling back as her vision swam. Slowly moving to drape her legs over the edge of the bed Kagome rubbed her temples, her body hunched over as she tried to fight back the feeling of sickness. Her stomach ached and rumbled like she hadn't eaten in weeks and now was making her feel awful. Slowly she stood and squinted, her eyes still sensitive to the light as she looked around.

"Shippo?" She hoarsely called out her throat so sore the noise was barely above a whisper. _"Ugh what is going on?"_ She thought to herself frustrated and began looking around the room for evidence of where she might be. Kagome was a bit surprised once she took in her surroundings. She had become so used to blank walls and simple mats on the floor, in small huts for the places they often stayed. The grandeur of the room she was in was a bit shocking. Obviously she was in the home of someone wealthy for the feudal era. There was an actual plush pillow mattress bed instead of a rolled mat, beautiful paintings on the walls as well as a mirror where there was a small table set up with a wash bowl, a screen for changing behind that had small hand painted Sakura blossoms on it and a large dark wood armoire. Things she was definitely not used to seeing in their travels.

Moving slowly she made her way to the wash bowl and instantly dipped her hands in and leaned down to splash her face with water. Once noting the water was fresh and clean she began to scoop it in her hands to drink. She was too confused and her mouth was too dry to care about the fact that she was drinking from a wash bowl. Kagome drank as much water as her stomach would allow. It cooled her burning throat and even helped the ache in her stomach ease a little. It wasn't until her lungs burned from a lack of air that she stopped. Gasping and taking slow breathes she gripped the edges of the table noting how her whole body shook just slightly as if she had just finished running 20 miles with no break.

" _Man what happened to me?"_ She questioned once again, still confused on why she felt so different and her body ached in pain. Suddenly her brows pulled together in a frown as she stared down at her thumb.

"What the…" She whispered staring at her perfectly shaped nail that came to a point like a claw. _"Was I in a coma or something? How did my nails get so long and what nut job filed them into points? They kinda look like claws now…"_ The situation was becoming more and more peculiar and Kagome was quickly becoming angry with her lack of answers and still worried about her friends and kit. Finally she noticed something odd in the mirror in front of her. Lowering her hands and focusing she froze. For just a second she had thought maybe she mistook a small window as a mirror because what she saw was not her own reflection. Who was the demon looking at her with the startled expression? It didn't take long for her to realize though she had indeed been right the first time. It was a mirror but not what she thought should be her reflection in it. She reached up and gently touched the now magenta stripes on her cheeks running her fingers along them her breathing low and shallow as she remained in shock. Looking into her now intense sapphire blue eyes that had sun bursts of the gold that matched both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's eye color in them, slowly tears began to well up. Her control was slowly slipping as her emotions went all over the place.

"What is this?" She whispered in panic and leaned down to splash more water on her face and she rubbed roughly at her new marking in desperation. Part of her thought it might just be some weird joke like the markings could be paint. When she did nothing but make her cheeks rosy she began to breathe quickly. Looking around the room frantically she saw near the dressing screen that there was another mirror only it was full length. Quickly she rushed over to take in her full appearance. Her eyes widened in horror and with shaking hands she slowly undid the knot that held the silk robe she was wearing closed and let it slip to the floor. She didn't even think to consider how the garment was not one of her own and that she had obviously at some point been undressed and redressed by someone else.

What she saw caused her very softly to choke out a sob of horror and wonder and she raised her hand to cover her mouth and muffle the noise. Her skin was much fairer than what she remembered it to be after years of running around in the sun getting tan. She also noticed how toned she was. Sure she had always been healthy and had even gained some muscle in their travels but this was different. Her skin was soft and perfect but the muscle underneath felt hard like rock. Even the slightest tensing of muscle revealed all new definition to her form. She felt stronger than she ever had, even while feeling sick and tired. Her new marking were also not just on her cheeks. Two matching magenta stripes on each side started on her back near her shoulder blades and ran down wrapping around her sides and ending in points on her abdomen. Magenta strips also wrapped around her wrist and she took note of the blue crescent moon on her neck below her right ear. Her hair which once was down to the middle of her back now hung to the back of her thighs and the color was similar to that of a Raven. Over and over she turned in front of the mirror taking in all of the changes.

" _How could this happen?"_ She thought more confused than ever. Finally regaining her composure she swiped the tears from her cheeks and picked up her robe. She was determined to get the answers she needed. So after tying her robe closed and swallowing her fear she made her way out of the room. _"Hopefully whoever brought me here is a friend. It doesn't feel like I am a prisoner or anything."_ She thought to herself as she walked down the hall quietly as possible. Kagome took note of how quiet everything was but she seemed to be able to hear odd things now. Every once in a while she could pick up the sound of someone walking somewhere else in the castle, or an unidentified noise from the forest outside. After only a few minutes of walking aimlessly and seeing no one did she stop her eyes widening. She could hear them, all of her friends somewhere else in the castle.

"This food is delicious thank you Sesshomaru." She heard Sango say and began to quickly try and make her way in the direction she heard their voices coming from.

"I hope Mama wakes up soon." At the sound of her son's voice something snapped within Kagome and she began to run. She ran faster than she ever had, so fast that everything around her blurred. Nothing else mattered to her in that moment than to have Shippo in her arms and make sure that he was safe. So she ran as hard as she could barely taking note of her new found speed. Instinct took over as she continued to follow the sound of her companion's voices, something wild bloomed within her and her eyes bled red desperate to have her kit with her. Panic slowly seeping in with every second it took for her to make her way through the maze of the castle. Anyone or anything that tried to get in her way at that moment she would tear to shreds with her bare hands.

" _There!"_ She thought to herself finally zeroing in on the closed screen knowing the others were behind it. She could hear all of their voices crystal clear but she only had Shippo in mind. She was so focused that she didn't hear the faint whisper of a certain Wolf Demon saying her name as if he knew she was coming. Silence fell as she slid the door open harshly and in a split second she made her way across the room rushing over to Shippo and scooping him up into her arms, crushing him against her chest in a desperate hug.

"Mama!" Kagome barely heard Shippo cry out over the thundering of her own heart. Cutting her hug short she held Shippo out in front of her as she began to look him over and suddenly not even considering what an odd thing it was to do she brought him close and began to sniff him. Her newly gained demon instincts taking over to make sure her son was in good health and uninjured. Shippo giggled and squirmed in her grasp but he did not complain about her strange antics.

"Uh Kags?" Inuyasha spoke up startling her so much she whipped around fangs barred, pulling Shippo close to her chest protectively. Everyone in the room seemed shocked as they starred at their friend whose eyes were still tinged red and was looking at all of them like she couldn't recognize them. Sango moved like she was going to take a step closer and in turn Kagome backed away. Before Sango could move Sesshomaru raised a hand in front of her to stop her.

"I think it would be best for everyone to keep their distance and let Lady Kagome calm down before we do anything. She has yet to learn to control her beast and there is nothing more dangerous that I have found than a full-fledged mother Demon who is frightened and feels that her child's life is threatened. She has been through much, so I suggest we just give her a moment with her kit to calm down." Sesshomaru said calmly though he watched Kagome carefully as if he thought she would attack at any second. Everyone nodded their heads in understanding though and fell silent watching her carefully.

Kagome stood frozen her eyes shifting quickly between all of them as if she couldn't determine whether or not any of them were a threat. The silence was broken after a few moments by Shippo.

"Mama?"

At the sound of his voice she looked down to the kit in her arms who was staring up at her worriedly. Reaching up he placed a hand on her cheek as a sign of comfort and she let her eyes close as she hugged him tightly burying her nose in his hair and allowing his scent to calm her. When she opened her eyes again they returned to normal and she looked to her friends confused.

"What's happening to me?" She asked trying to put on a brave face and keep her voice from shaking. It was clear she was not ok to everyone there. Not that any of them could blame her with all that she had been through. She watched as all of her friends looked at one another clearly unsure of what to say or who should say it.

"Uh Kagome… we should all probably sit down there is a lot we have to talk about." Sango finally said and everyone nodded their heads in agreement and began to sit back down at the table. Everyone except Koga sat down; he instead stood staring at Kagome with a mixture of emotions flitting across his expression. Slowly he made his way over to her as if still unsure of what she might do. Kagome didn't move though and just stood watching as he made his way over to her. As if deciding that she wasn't going to attack him, or maybe he just didn't care, Koga closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.

Kagome wasn't sure why it felt so right to be held by him at that moment. Her mind was too exhausted to really care either, all she knew was that it felt safe. His scent enveloped Shippo and hers and she snuggled deeper into his embrace not caring that they had an audience. Something about the Wolf Demon's aura, the feeling of his strong arms around her eased her nerves and made her feel like everything was going to be alright. So for the moment she just enjoyed the warm embrace while she could, content now that her son was with her as well.

"I am so glad you are ok Kagome." She heard Koga whisper and she couldn't help but frown and step back.

"I am not ok. I am very, very far from ok. And someone needs to start explaining to me what the hell happened. The last thing I remember was Naraku showing up and running from…" She took another step back looking unsure of what exactly she should say she was running from. Shaking her head she gestured at herself with one hand, the other still holding onto Shippo. "What is this!? What happened to me? I feel so different… everything is… too much. All the noise, all of the smells, even the light… Everything hurts my head and makes me feel like I am going to vomit. I can't get a grip on my emotions either. Since I have woken up everything has made me feel like I am on the verge of losing it, like I am losing control of myself." Tears were welling up in her eyes as she became more and more upset. She was becoming so frantic she didn't realize she was tightening her grip on Shippo until he began to squirm.

"Mama you're squishing me… it hurts." He complained and Kagome choked back a horrified sob realizing she was hurting her son and she carefully set him down so he could stand next to her. When she looked back up her friends could see the fear, confusion, and desperation she felt by looking into her eyes.

* * *

 **Koga P.O.V.**

He sensed her coming before she came through the door. Her scent flooding the area and her aura pulsing with the storm of emotions she was experiencing. He could tell Sesshomaru and Inuyasha sensed her as well. Both looking serious and sitting still as statues. She was approaching quickly and none of them exactly knew what would be the best thing to do. Not that they had to worry about it long as she came crashing into the room and in a blink had Shippo in her arms.

They had all watched the reunion between the two nervous and fascinated. Kagome had always had wonderful motherly instincts but seeing her already acting as an Inu-Youkai caring for her child was amazing. Koga couldn't help but picture her with wolf pups though he quickly shook his head ridding himself of the image knowing it was no time for fantasies. He had no idea what to do though. He had been worried sick the whole time Kagome was asleep and going through her transformation. He had barely eaten or slept. When he wasn't worrying about Kagome he was thinking about how he needed to find and kill Naraku for all the damage that he had done.

Here she stood now though seemingly in good health and he couldn't help but take in her new appearance. _"Just as beautiful as she has always been."_ He thought to himself. Yes there were changes that came with Kagome now being full youkai but she was still Kagome. Koga was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed everyone else had taken their seats back at the table. Kagome was now staring at him and it only took a few seconds of him staring into her sapphire blue eyes before he made his way over and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't care who was watching all he wanted to do was comfort the woman he cared for.

He hadn't expected his comment about her well-being to upset her so much but after her rant he understood. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to wake up one day and suddenly be something completely different.

"I know, I didn't mean anything by it Kagome. I just meant I am glad you are alive, that Naraku didn't… I know it's a lot. I can't imagine what you are going through. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are just glad that you are here with us right now." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with his comment. Even Sesshomaru offered a single nod of his head showing he too was happy with her presence among them. "I know you have a lot of questions but you must be starving so let's all just sit down and we will try to answer everything we can." With that Koga made his way back to the table and pulled out a chair offering it to Kagome who sat down without hesitation and even smiled when Shippo climbed onto her lap resting comfortably against her. Quickly a few servants went to work to set up the table for Kagome filling her plate with food and getting her something to drink. It wasn't until all the servants had left that Sesshomaru finally spoke.

"Kagome what is the last thing you remember?" He ask quietly looking at her intently.

"I was running in the forest. I had just left the group, there was something following me… In the darkness I don't know what it was I didn't see it. It had glowing purple eyes, they were the only thing I could see in the darkness. I could feel it hunting me... and I knew I couldn't out run it but I had to try. I only stopped because my chest hurt. It felt like I was on fire, I couldn't breathe or even think. It felt like my heart was being torn from my chest and then everything just went black…" Kagome spoke with her gaze on the table her brows pulled together in a frown clearly frustrated that she couldn't remember anything else. Koga reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a small squeeze hoping it would offer some small comfort.

"You should try eating a little Kagome. It will likely make you feel a little better. You were out for 3 days; your body needs the fuel." He said pushing her plate closer to her. He could tell that she didn't feel like eating but was satisfied when she began to take small bites. Everyone gave her a moment to eat noticing how once she started she happily ate all on her plate. _"She must have been starving."_ Koga thought to himself.

"What… Am… am I a demon? I mean I look, I have similar features to Sesshomaru…" She said quietly again her head bowed as if she felt foolish for having to ask.

"Yes, you are now Inu-Youkai ." Sesshomaru said in his matter of fact tone.

"Am I a half demon like Inuyasha?" She asked looking more confused now than before.

"No you are full youkai."

"But how? I don't understand…" It was clear that Kagome was again struggling with her own emotions.

"Kagome, when Rin and I found you in the forest you were, for lack of better term, dead. You were just an empty shell. Naraku and Kagura had already fled with the jewel shards that you carried. Thankfully not all of them were lost as the others informed me that Kikyo was caring some of them as well. It seemed you were the focus of all of Naraku's attention that night. I tried to use Tenseiga to revive you but it wouldn't work. Your soul was no longer complete, it was shattered with large pieces missing, so there was nothing for the Netherworld beings to take and nothing for Tenseiga to heal. We believe Naraku used some sort of old curse to steal your Riki, though what for we aren't sure. All we know is that he wasn't able to obtain your Riki, as it returned to Kikyo who you will notice is now very much alive." At this Koga watched as Kagome looked over to Kikyo a mixture of emotions swirling in her eyes. He couldn't be sure but for a moment he saw the shock, then what he couldn't only describe as irratation and finally resolve. The smallest hint of a smile graced her features as she found some happiness knowing Kikyo now truely had her life back. Kikyo seeming almost ashamed stared into her lap the whole time as if she couldn't bring herself to meet Kagome's gaze.

"Myoga was the one who told this Sesshomaru that the only chance we had of saving you was to share my own demon blood with you in the hopes that it would fill the void from the loss of your Riki and effectively turn you youkai. The chances that you would actually survive the transformation were very small but Myoga believed you to be strong enough and he was right."

For a long while no one said anything giving Kagome the time to process what she had just learned. The longer she was silent the more worried Koga grew. No one knew how Kagome was going to react to the news that she was now a demon. After a few minutes she finally looked around the table her eyes shifting between all of them.

* * *

 **Kagome P.O.V.**

"I am guessing that there is no way to reverse this so that I could just be human again is there?" She said trying to offer small humor to the situation but everyone could see the sliver of hope she had that there might be a chance.

"I'm afraid not Lady Kagome." Myoga spoke up making his presence known as he hopped onto the table where everyone could see. "Even if there was some way for us to get the missing pieces of your soul to return them to you. It would kill Lady Kikyo, despite your past history I think we can all agree her death is not something any of us wish for now." Kagome nodded her head agreeing. Even though they all were going through some emotional trials with each other she did not want to sacrifice Kikyo's life just so she could be human once again. "There is also no known way of removing your youkai. Without being able to do so, if your Riki was returned to you… Your soul and body would destroy itself. Your Riki would be fighting to purify your youkai. There is no telling what would happen to you but it is my guess that you would not be so lucky to survive the process. It's a miracle that you were even able to survive the transformation and that your body didn't reject the youkai blood. You must understand everything you are going through it is unknown territory. There is no documented history of any ever successfully making the transformation like you have. It will be a learning process for us all." With that Myoga fell silent and everyone watched as Kagome let the weight of his words sink in.

' _This can't be happening, this feels like some kind of bizarre dream. It's too unreal…'_ Kagome thought to herself as she stared down at her hands unable to look into the sympathetic gazes of her friends. "So… I am a full-fledged demon now… You turned me into an Inu-Youkai." She finally looked up at Sesshomaru and everyone could see she was trying to wrap her head around exactly what it all meant.

"Yes you are now Inu-Youkai just as I am. I will help train you to learn your abilities as a demon as well as how to control your inner beast as I am sure you have been struggling with it since you woke up. You will also need to learn the responsibilities that you now hold." Sesshomaru said in an even tone clearly less gentle as the others but still being remarkably calm.

"Wait responsibilities? What do you mean by that?" Kagome staring at him confused.

She watched as Sesshomaru sighed and was actually surprised to see what she thought was worry in his gaze. _'Is he actually worried about me right now?'_ She wondered what more could they possibly have to tell her that could make the situation any more crazy than it already was.

"Kagome when I shared my blood with you it did not simply turn you into a demon. You are now of mine and Inuyasha's bloodline… The same blood that courses through our veins now runs through yours. You are, for lack of better term, like our sister… our family. You are of royal blood…" He was speaking slowly the whole time maintaining eye contact with Kagome. It helped little as she started to feel like there was rock in her stomach. "You are now Lady of the West. With this title come certain responsibilities." Reality dawned on her then as she looked back and forth from Sesshomaru and Inuyasha who could not keep her gaze and instead kept looking down.

"Sister… I'm your friggin sister?!" Her voice cracked and she looked straight at Inuyasha when she asked.

"Sort of it is complicated…" Sesshomaru started to speak but was soon interrupted.

"Wait why do I have responsibilities. Inuyasha is your half-brother and by birth right has claim to some of the Western lands and he hasn't had to do anything. Doesn't he have more of a right or obligation than I do?" It was easy to see she was frustrated and no one could really blame her.

"We all have responsibilities, Inuyasha included. Because of my past hatred for my brother, I allowed him to ignore his duties as a ruler of the West taking them on myself due to pride and selfishness." It was clear Sesshomaru was losing his patients but was trying his best to explain the situation. "I no longer hold this hate for my brother though. It is time that he has returned to claim his birth right and to assume his position as a ruler of the West under me. Because I was the first born I am Lord of this land and to be frank assume the most responsibility. As he is our Father's son and my half-brother he is to help me rule these lands. Unfortunately, for you because my blood in running through your veins as we speak, you too claim the title as Lady of the West as I am not married and we have no other direct family ties. You must understand Kagome I did not want this for you but I did in the moment what I thought was best to save your life. I will help you as much as I can so please try to stay calm."

' _This… this is insane. Why is this happening? What am I going to tell my family back home?'_ Just then a look of horror crossed Kagome's features and everyone became very worried.

"Kagome?" She barely heard Sango through the thundering of her own heart.

"I'm a demon now… I'm no longer a Miko. What if I can't go home?" She finally looked up to see the reflected look of shock on everyone's faces. It was clear none of them had thought of this.

"Kagome I…" Inuyasha finally spoke but fell short. Kagome could feel the tears running down her face and her anger flared as once again she saw the pity in everyone's eyes.

"What if I can never see them again? What if you can't travel through the well anymore either Inuyasha? What are they going to think happened to me?" She closed her eyes then trying to gain some sense of control over her emotions. Her entire world was changing so fast she could barely keep up. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

"I want to go to the well. I have to see… I have to know, now. Take me home..."

* * *

 _Well that is it for this chapter. I hope that you guys enjoyed it. I know I briefly addressed the issue of the groups jewel shards as I forgot about it in the last chapter. Sorry if the solution seems a bit rushed. My bad. Please let me know what you all think. I am also SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry for the near 2 year wait for another post. I hope to have the next chapter out soon._

 _To those of you who have been here since the beginning I hope you are still around and if you are thank you so much! Your guy's continued support and desire to read this story is so much appreciated and encouraging._

 _For those of you who are new, welcome! I hope you all like the story thus far and will continue to stick around for new chapters._


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